When I was 15 years old, I got a free ticket to go see Peter Frampton in Newport, Rhode Island. I knew and liked the three big radio hits - "Show Me the Way", "Baby, I Love Your Way", "Do You Feel Like We Do" - and free is free, so why not? Before the show started, the venue made a big to-do that no one was allowed to stand in the space between the front of the stage and the front row; alas, by the middle of the first song, there were quite a few people right up in there. Halfway through the set, Frampton ripped into a killer cover of "Black Hole Sun". My friend and I thought it was super badass, so we tried to sneak up to the front. A security guard stopped us and explained that the only people allowed to stand either had front row tickets or exclusive VIP passes. As we returned to our seats disappointed, I turned around to see Frampton looking at us with a confused expression. During the next song, a killer version of "(I'll Give You) Money", a couple more people tried to get up front and were also stopped. As the song kept playing, Peter announced, "Let the people come up and dance! If they can't get up here and dance, I'm walking off this stage." My friend and I looked at each other and *booked it* to the front, as did many others. The security guards continued to try and stop a few people, which Frampton objected to. He cued the band to stop, took his guitar off, and left the stage. I remember saying to my friend, "Even if he doesn't come back, this is the most badass concert ever." Sure enough, though, he returned about 10 minutes later with a shit-eating grin on his face and said, "Let's pick that one back up from my guitar solo." He finished the song (and the set) while my friend and I got to enjoy it from right up front, and to this day, it's one of the coolest, most respectable rock star moves I've ever witnessed. I suppose I can understand why he may not be everyone's cup of tea, and I'm sure some people of a certain generation got burnt out on this album's hype, but I will never have anything but the utmost respect for Peter Frampton. And this album is pretty damn good. 4/5

Dimery should be fucking arrested for including this. 1/5

I have heard all the arguments against this album. The production is too messy; the Apple Jam record is unnecessary; even without the Apple Jam, it’s too long. Anyone who thinks this way is certainly entitled to their opinion; not only do I respectfully disagree with these sentiments, but the jaw-dropping strength, beauty, and magnitude of All Things Must Pass are too much for me to consider ranking anything else as my favorite solo Beatles album. To those points, I won’t pretend that I’m always in the mood for the Apple Jam, but I don’t believe its presence in any way detracts from the greatness of the album. On top of that, I always enjoy it when I do listen to it, especially “Out Of The Blue,” which has never felt 11 minutes and 13 seconds long to me. Jim Gordon (drums), Gary Wright (organ), and Bobby Whitlock (piano) all groove spectacularly on this track, and George and Klaus Voormann provide some extremely interesting guitar work. The musicians subtly shift gears multiple times and truly interact with each other, unlike other jams that meander aimlessly and exist only to showcase individual players’ solos. Taking the Apple Jam out of the equation, yes, it’s a long record. But because every song is so good, it never feels tiring to me. The weakest song may be “I Dig Love,” and I think it’s a blast. The main riff, courtesy of George (slide guitar), Whitlock (piano), and Wright (electric piano), is super playful, and the drum fills provided by old friend Ringo Starr add some additional whimsicality. It also features some great organ work from Billy Preston and a nice, understated solo from George. And yes, Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound production is massive; George himself later said he felt there was “too much reverb.” For my money, I think this album’s defining sound is ultimately a huge asset. George’s slide work on “My Sweet Lord” is obviously sublime, but it is aided greatly by the layered acoustic guitars provided by himself, Eric Clapton, and Badfinger’s Pete Ham, Tom Evans, and Joey Molland. “What Is Life” is notable for George’s catchy riff and outstanding vocal, but the horns courtesy of Jim Price (trumpet) and Bobby Keys (saxophone), as well as John Barham’s magnificent string arrangement, provide it with a spectacular energy. Price and Keys also lend some pep to “Awaiting On You All,” which boasts another fantastic riff, awesome drums and percussion from Gordon and Mike Gibbins, and exuberant backing vocals from Harrison, Clapton, and Whitlock. The broad arrangements mirror not only how important this album was, but how great the content is; I can’t imagine being bothered by how enormous these songs sound because they’re all so enormously good. Even the one song that George didn’t write is a highlight. Bob Dylan is my second favorite artist of all time, and I rarely agree with the opinion often espoused by his detractors that his songs are better sung by other people. Bob’s rendition of “If Not For You” on his New Morning record is lovely, but George’s version here is so clearly the definitive one. Every acoustic and slide guitar is perfectly placed, the lead vocal is superb, and the keyboard work (Wright on piano, Preston on organ) fills out the soundscape beautifully. Dylan’s influence is felt elsewhere on All Things Must Pass, of course. George spent some quality time in upstate New York with him and the Band in late 1968; it was during this time that the two co-wrote the stellar “I’d Have You Anytime.” Dylan was intrigued by Harrison’s grasp on unique chord progressions and time signature changes, both of which are incorporated into this song. Knowing that perhaps the greatest lyricist of all time was suffering from writer’s block, George’s pleas to “let me into your heart” are a touching offering to his friend. Bob’s lyrical response is even more heartwarming: “All I have is yours, all you see is mine/And I’m glad to hold you in my arms/I’d have you anytime.” It’s a brilliant album opener, especially because Clapton’s guitar intro is particularly welcoming. The celestial “Behind That Locked Door” finds George once again encouraging Bob to share his talents with the world. It’s another perfect sonic backdrop; Pete Drake’s pedal steel performance is out of this world good, Wright contributes more solid piano, and Preston’s organ playing, especially when he joins in on the main figure, is marvelous. As he does for most of the album’s tracks, George stacks his vocal harmonies to wonderful effect on this song as well. And “Apple Scruffs” may not be about Dylan, but its acoustic guitar and harmonica-driven nature is certainly reminiscent of him. Even if you love the sound of this record as a whole like I do, this stripped-down number is certainly a welcome addition. As an ode to the hardcore Beatles fanatics of the late 60’s, it is also nice to hear something positive related to George’s former band. Which brings us, of course, to the most fascinating aspect of the record. In the aftermath of the Beatles’ breakup, All Things Must Pass not only revealed to the world how much amazing material George had in his back pocket, but expressed how stifled he felt by the group in their final years of existence. “Wah-Wah,” named after a slang term for a headache, paints John Lennon and Paul McCartney to be just that: “Now I don’t need no wah-wah’s/And I know how sweet life can be/If I keep myself free of wah-wah.” George delivers these lyrics with one of his most impassioned vocals ever, and his guitar work is even better. His opening riff boasts a perfect tone, and is matched by an equally impressive performance from Clapton and his apt use of the wah pedal. The two trade off searing solos, where George also gets an opportunity to show off his slide prowess. It’s a miraculous cacophony of sound, with Price (trumpet), Keys (sax), Preston (electric piano), and, somewhat ironically, Starr (drums) contributing notable parts to the soundscape. “Run Of The Mill” is slightly more stripped down; clearly influenced by his time spent with the Band, it features some of George’s best acoustic work on the record. Wright shines once more on piano, Carl Radle provides a great bass line, and Price and Keys’ horn work is delightfully melodic. Lyrically, however, it is just as biting. Written following the Get Back sessions, when John and Paul more than ever were not appearing to take his songs seriously, he sings, “Tomorrow when you rise, another day for you to realize me/Or send me down again.” They eventually gained more respect for George for standing his ground during these sessions, and subsequently recognized that “Something” and “Here Comes The Sun” were incredible compositions and deserved inclusion on Abbey Road. Still, when you hear the songs on this record that were ultimately passed over by the Beatles, it makes you wonder: how did they not realize his growing genius? “Let It Down” features an enticing chord progression to match its salacious lyrics. It also features the most magnificently heavy soundscape of George’s career. He and Clapton are both unforgiving with their guitar playing, Wright contributes some fiery organ work, and Price and Keys lock in perfectly with the relentlessly pounding rhythm section of Radle and Gordon. The track is further aided by Gary Brooker’s excellent piano and Barham’s perfect string arrangement. While that song was given up on after a few disinterested run-throughs by the Beatles, the band gave a bit more consideration to what became the title track of this record; Lennon suggested the lyric “A *mind* can blow those clouds away,” rather than *wind*. But yet again, it was somehow not deemed a priority. Their loss was this album’s gain in so many ways; “All Things Must Pass” ended up as an appropriate title track in the wake of the band’s split, and George seized the opportunity to ensure it received the proper recording. His acoustic guitar figure glides by heavenly against Preston’s piano and Barham’s strings. Typical of the rest of the record, the horns courtesy of Price and Keys are majestic, and Drake’s pedal steel soars brilliantly. George’s lyrics and vocals hit like a ton of bricks, especially when Clapton and Whitlock join him to deliver the stately chorus. It is a perfect composition and recording, and there’s a strong argument to be made for it being the greatest solo song by any Beatle. If it’s not the greatest, it’s because that title belongs to “Isn’t It A Pity.” Written in 1966, Harrison had sat on this song longer than any other, and correspondingly had it rejected multiple times by the Beatles. Perhaps, then, he was trying to make a point by including two versions of it on this record. The second version is nice, particularly due to the fine performances by Clapton (guitar), Whitlock (organ), and Tony Ashton (piano), but the first version is immaculate. Ashton’s piano work is also great here, and although his contributions to the album are top-notch all around, Barham’s orchestral arrangement on this track is his most extraordinary. In the song’s first instrumental interlude, the strings supply a breathtaking ascending melody before the horns immediately answer with a terrific descending line of their own. It is during this section that George’s slide work begins to shine as well, as it continues to through the remainder of the song. His vocals, including his harmonies, are as strong as ever, and there is no song in his entire catalog that better illustrates his dynamic ability to write gorgeous melodies over unconventional chord progressions. Some may complain that the outro goes on too long, but it could last for years and I wouldn’t mind. The swirling guitars, strings, and layered vocals are absolutely stirring and divine; it is a splendid ending to a truly remarkable piece of music. The wealth of flawless songs and recordings on All Things Must Pass is almost incomprehensible. Of the 14 tracks I have mentioned already in this review, only “Apple Scruffs,” “I Dig Love,” and “Out Of The Blue,” as much as I enjoy them, would not qualify as my favorite song on any given day. The other 11 are so ungodly good that they may qualify for that title. And on many days, it might be “Beware Of Darkness” taking the crown. Between its unfairly good chord progression, beautiful lyrics, and superb guitar work from Harrison and Clapton, it is undoubtedly one of his greatest songs. “Art Of Dying” might even be a dark horse candidate (no pun intended). This is one of the tracks featuring the band that would soon become Derek and the Dominos - Clapton, Whitlock, Radle, and Gordon - and all four musicians are outstanding on it. Clapton’s guitar performance in particular is his most virtuosic on the record; his electrifying wah-laden intro crashes marvelously into Price and Keys’ bombastic horns to powerful effect. Hell, I can’t even name anything wrong with the mysterious “Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)” or the harrowing “Hear Me Lord.” Every single song on the first four sides of this album is unbelievably good, and yes, I quite like the Apple Jam as well. Given some of the songs’ subject matters, it’s difficult to totally disregard this album’s historical context, but even taking that aspect out of consideration as much as possible, it is still tremendous. I am completely in awe of this record, and as much as I would have loved to provide a hot take here, I have to be honest. All Things Must Pass is one of the greatest albums of all time, and most definitely the greatest of all the Beatles’ solo albums. 5+/5

Oh my god she never shuts up. 2/5

"Must hear before you die?" Why?? So I can know what the 362nd best album of 1979 sounds like? Stupid and erroneous. Excited to never listen to this again. EDIT: Wow, this is an embarrassing mea culpa to have to give, especially since this review has received quite a number of likes. But I've relistened, and I must say, it's been a hot minute since an album rose this much in estimation for me on one listen. This time around, I was much more drawn into it. It's still not my favorite-sounding album by any means, and there are moments where Sylvian's vocals irk me just the slightest, but in almost every song, I found myself really digging every member's individual performances. Really interesting instrumental choices and arrangements. I'm all the way up to a low 3 stars now, but it could genuinely continue to grow on me yet. I guess that's the beauty of it all, right? 3/5

“Vienna” is fantastic. Everything else? Meh. I like a lot of the melodies and musical ideas, but Billy’s voice and personality just rub me the wrong way. “Just the Way You Are” is one of the most offensively cheesy songs I’ve ever heard. 2.5/5

Truly excellent in every way. Nothing to complain about from a songwriting, performance, or production level. It’s all very good and I like it a lot. I just don’t have much of an emotional reaction to it, which is why I can’t go all the way with my score. 4/5

Damn, really cool stuff. This was a total blind spot and did not disappoint. What a wonderful, quirky surprise. I feel like this is everything people pretend Neutral Milk Hotel is. 4/5

I like it, and I like it more than I ever have, but I still feel like I’m supposed to like it more than I should. Give me at least 3 S&G records before this one. 4/5

Really wishing their albums hit me as well as some of their individual songs do. 3.5/5

Tribe is easily one of my favorite hip-hop acts; on this album in particular, I've always been partial to "Push It Along", "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo", "Can I Kick It?", and "Ham 'n' Eggs", though there aren't any individual songs I dislike. I think it pales in comparison to their next two records, especially The Low End Theory, but it's right on the verge of 4 stars for me. 3.5/5

Damn fucking good. They'll never be "my" hard rock band, but I think I'll continue to like them more and more. 4/5

Although I don’t love every song, I just love *them* so much. Beautiful voices, beautiful songs, beautiful music. 4/5

It’s all good and interesting to varying degrees, just not something I’m going to return to a whole lot. 3.5/5

It’s very well made and I dig the title track, but it’s just not my thing. 2/5

Absolutely fucking gorgeous. 4.5/5

It's not my thing, but there are elements I appreciate on it. I actually very much dig the opening track. 2/5

To quote my friend Joe, “Good, but I don’t care.” 3.5/5

There are elements of this music that I like, but every song on this record is just too long and too repetitive for my tastes. 2/5

Some great music, but I don't love any of the individual songs and Ferry isn't making me swoon like he seems to do for so many others. 3/5

Started off to be way better then - and not at all - what I was expecting. Eventually evened out and fell off a bit, but still pretty good. 3.5/5

Document will forever reign supreme for me, but Automatic is always in contention for my second favorite R.E.M. album. A high 4 stars, as it has been for me for quite some time. 4/5

Pretty cool stuff. Not inherently enough of my thing to give it the extra half star bump here, but it's solid nonetheless. 3.5/5

Fuck yes. 4.5/5

I personally don’t have the nostalgia factor that so many do for this record (my mom strangely can’t stand most girl groups, so this was not a household staple growing up). Additionally, I think the cuts that have survived on holiday radio stations over here for the past 50 years are clearly the highlights, and the others don’t do a whole lot for me. But I totally respect its place in the pantheon of music history and enjoy it well enough when it’s on. Mostly, it just means so much to feel like I have a personalized gift from ultimate good guy Phil Spector, a man who arguably embodied the Christmas spirit more than anyone in history. 3.5/5

Starts off as strong as any R.E.M. album. Tapers off a bit eventually, but still damn good. 4/5

High 3.5. Starts off incredible. Tails a bit eventually; lyrics pretty consistently excellent, but not as much musical variety as I’d like and Franti isn’t *always* the most convincing. Still, he’s uniformly great, and this was an awesome listen. 3.5/5

Am I likely to listen to the whole thing in one sitting? Not very often, that’s for sure. But I’ll be damned if I don’t love this music, and if I don’t appreciate it acting as quite an important historical document. 3.5/5

I'm fully aware that not loving/worshipping Prince is one of my most fatal flaws as a human. Many of the struggles I've historically had with his music - production elements, stylistic preferences, singing - come into play on this record as well. However, there's a decent amount of stuff I really do like here as well, and I think it can continue to grow on me. "The Cross" is my favorite of his by leaps and bounds, but I also quite dig the title track, "Starfish and Coffee", "Hot Thing", "Forever in My Life", and "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man". There are numerous cool, experimental moments that I don't get out of other lauded releases of his. I'll keep trying to right this wrong, y'all, but believe me when I say this is progress. 3/5

Oh my god she never shuts up. 2/5

"Needles in the Camel's Eye" is seriously such a perfect song, and although I liked the rest of the album fine enough on previous listens, the weirdness of it all began to really jive with me on this relisten. 4/5

My quest to fall in love with The Cure remains ongoing. Perhaps it’s just a stylistic thing, but I’ve yet to feel this deep emotional connection to Robert Smith’s voice or guitar playing. His songwriting is a different story; “Last Dance” and “Untitled” are phenomenal pieces of writing in particular, though his lyrics are strong across the board. And there are still certainly a handful of highlights in my book; “Lullaby” is far and away my favorite track here, and kicks off an excellent three-song run with “Fascination Street” and “Prayers for Rain”. I also see why “Pictures of You” is celebrated - the relationship between its lyrics and melody is pretty fantastic - but I can never get all the way there with it due to Smith’s weak-sounding single-string guitar approach. It honestly bugs me quite a bit, as it does on “Plainsong”, which is further tanked for me by the bothersome echo and lackluster synth sounds. Which I’m sure is an infuriating sentence to read, assuming you’re part of the vast majority that thinks this album is a sonic triumph, but after multiple listens, I simply don’t hear it that way. “Closedown”, “The Same Deep Water as You”, and “Last Dance”, despite their strong compositional core, don’t amount to songs I care to listen to very much. The highlights are enough to get it to 3.5 in my book, and I’m still hoping I’ll have an a-ha moment with it eventually, but I’m not there yet. 3.5/5

It’s fine. Don’t ever need to hear it again. 3/5

Not a fan of Patton, but some good musical ideas and performances. 2.5/5

I've always had a lot of respect for Jay, and the best stuff on here is truly so damn good. Excellent production across the board, and his flow is iconic. My level of personal enjoyment is a mid-high 3.5 stars, but undoubtedly a 5-star album in terms of craft and significance. 3.5/5

Biggie's flow and timbre are truly otherworldly. I'm blown away every time I hear "Gimme the Loot". I respect some people's reservations about this one, and it's certainly not my place to determine what is or isn't misogynistic, but in my opinion I don't hear some of the more "questionable" lyrics on as glorifications of said behavior. And regardless of whatever passages haven't aged well, so many other themes of this record still resonate deeply today. I can do without some of the skits and it runs a bit long for me, but I'm pretty good with it overall. 3.5/5

What a voice. First song is unbelievable. Love how this sounds. One of my favorite new discoveries, excited to go back to this. 4/5

Some of my favorite songs I’ve heard from this style of music so far. 3.5/5

I will never return to this intentionally, but I’ll be damned if it’s not a solid listen and very well done. 3.5/5

The guy is a fucking prick, but he makes great music. 4/5

Pretty good stuff. Opening track my favorite. 3.5/5

The title track is a true masterpiece. Everything else is great, too. 4/5

Pixies have historically been a songs band for me, but tonight, this one really clicked with me as a whole for the first time. Just fucking fantastic, and definitely has room to grow as I continue to spend more time with it. 4.5/5

Welp, it appears I’ve discovered yet another album that I’ve slept on for too long! Room to grow for this one. 4.5/5

Very good, highly listenable. Unsure why it’s considered essential by these standards, and don’t see much of a reason to go back to it, but nothing wrong with it. 3.5/5

I love and respect Ella and Billie. But Sarah is *my* jazz vocalist. She is perfect and divine. 4.5/5

“It’s Tricky” is undeniable. Of this era and genre, this is the best. Is it my favorite? No. But I can dig it. 3.5/5

Another one I should like more than I do. Otis is awesome, but I don’t think many, if any, of these songs are the best versions of them. Definitely enough to give it the 4 star 1001 bump, but not enough to actually get me to 4. 3.5/5

I’m sure most people think Graceland is the high watermark of his solo career, but give me this one. 4/5

Nothing about this particularly appeals to me. 2/5

Remarkably cool and a fantastic new discovery! 4/5

My "lightest" 5 stars of their first four albums, but 5 stars nonetheless. 5/5

About as high as one of my 3.5’s can be. 3.5/5

I consistently could not tell if I liked this or not. Seems like there was truly an equal amount of qualities that I did and didn’t like. So I’ll go right down the middle. 2.5/5

I guess I can understand why most people prefer their follow-up, but this most recent relisten has only confirmed for me that I definitely like this one more. Perry sounds great and the band is killer, but more notably, it has a particular weirdness to it that really vibes with me. Kind of like Minutemen or Camper Van Beethoven, they float between a few different musical worlds, and even if a couple of songs aren't the absolute strongest, it's never uninteresting. "Jane Says", "Mountain Song, "Ocean Size", "Summertime Rolls", and "Pigs in Zen" are the biggest standouts in my book. High 4 stars that I can easily see growing to 4.5 one day. 4/5

Elements that I like keep popping through, but never consistently enough to constitute true enjoyment. 2/5

Unbelievably fun and energetic. Knew I'd like it, didn't expect to like it as much as I do. 4/5

This shit gives me anxiety. 1/5

I can tell I’m supposed to *love* this, I’m just not there yet. Still pretty damn good. I’ll come back to this. 3.5/5

I have a lot of reverence both for Willie Nelson and the compositions on this record. And I do like this album, but it's not something I'm likely to listen to on a regular basis. There are multiple albums of his I know that I prefer, and multiple versions of most of these songs that I prefer. 3.5/5

It’s very good, just not my preferred Traffic album. 3.5/5

Some cool stuff - her voice is amazing overall and I’ll definitely go back to “Who Is It” - but in general, I’m just not super into it. Very cool concept and arrangements, though. 2.5/5

Their last great album. 4/5

Tired of pretending like I don't love this album. 4.5/5

Another extremely consistent set of songs from Elvis. 4/5

I really don't understand what there is to like about this. This guy's voice is insufferable. The music sounds terrible. The only reason it's not a half star or zero stars is because it occasionally vaguely resembles music. 1/5

I know that it's probably just me on this island, but I prefer everything about this record to The Number of the Beast. Di'Anno is a much more palatable vocalist; the guitar histrionics are slightly more subdued; the production is a bit grungier. With the bombast dialed back across the board, it gives the band's raw energy a lot more room to shine. Their riffs, tightness, and overall attitude are so damn strong. 3.5/5

Classic case of liking a lot of it, but only being able to get so high because of my feelings on the album experience with this genre. 3.5/5

Maybe my 7th favorite Neil? And it’s still so goddamn good. God, this guy was the best. There will be other 4.5’s that get the 1001 bump up to 5; sticking with 4 for this one, but I still love it. 4.5/5

I don’t love Albarn’s voice, but goddamn, I really like just about everything else. Really cool stuff. Excited to check out more. 4/5

Pure beauty. 5/5

There’s some good stuff on here - the title track is a masterpiece - but overall, it’s too long and a bit one note. 3/5

Definitely not as good as its predecessor, but still very good. 3.5/5

Janis sounds amazing, and it’s a gigantic step up from the debut. 4/5

Nice. Borders on too nice. But overall good playing and writing. 3.5/5

Holy shit, what a discovery! Great production! Excellent samples, really cool energy. I didn’t know what to expect out of Latifah’s music, but this is one of my favorite surprises so far! 4/5

He's a great writer. And it all SOUNDS great. But even before I knew how much of a tool he was, there was always somewhat of a disconnect. He never resonated with me. I recognized the quality, but it didn't speak to me. It still doesn't. I do my best to separate the art from the artist, but I can't pretend I'm not turned off by Ryan right now. And it definitely isn't helping me connect with this any more at the moment. A very generous... 3.5/5

Honestly? Some stuff I really like. But a lot of other stuff that hasn’t aged so well. 3/5

Cool stuff. Again, I question how essential this is, but cool stuff. 3.5/5

Liked this way more than I expected to. Was never a fan of theirs, did not like these singles when they came out, but damn, I’m happy I went back to it. 3.5/5

Not my favorite Creedence, but still very good. 3.5/5

There's some good stuff on here, but the humor doesn't translate well and it's a bit musically one-note. 3/5

Incredible voice and some great songs. A bit by the numbers for me musically sometimes, but room to rise in my estimations. 3.5/5

Almost convinced me with the first song, but the more it continued, the more it wasn’t something I enjoyed at all. 1/5

A bit one-note, but still very cool. 3.5/5

Just not sure if I’m fully ready for this. Some great melodies in there. 3/5

The second half of this record is absolutely loaded, but the opening title track is just otherworldly good. The dynamics are incredible, it’s so subtly melodic amidst the tension and primal nature of it, and those background vocals are perfectly gnarly. I also do think “Missed” makes for an interesting second track, with its odd time signature goodness and solid guitar work. The experimentalism of “Man-Sized Sextet” is just effortlessly cool, as is the cover of “Highway 61 Revisited”, one of my favorite Dylan covers out there. PJ shines on guitar throughout the whole record, especially on the punky blast of “50ft Queenie” and the slide guitar textures of “Dry”. “Snake” is a sub-2 minute burst of intensity that perfectly sets up the ruthless closer “Ecstasy”. Although these most recent re-listens of Dry helped raise it in my estimations, I do still slightly prefer this killer sophomore effort. Riding along at a very strong 4 stars. 4/5

Always better than I remember it being. 4.5/5

My favorite album of all-time. Not a wasted second or note. The grin across my face when this popped up as my album of the day says it all. True perfection, one that will always inspire me and provide me endless happiness. 5+/5

"Must hear before you die?" Why?? So I can know what the 362nd best album of 1979 sounds like? Stupid and erroneous. Excited to never listen to this again. EDIT: Wow, this is an embarrassing mea culpa to have to give, especially since this review has received quite a number of likes. But I've relistened, and I must say, it's been a hot minute since an album rose this much in estimation for me on one listen. This time around, I was much more drawn into it. It's still not my favorite-sounding album by any means, and there are moments where Sylvian's vocals irk me just the slightest, but in almost every song, I found myself really digging every member's individual performances. Really interesting instrumental choices and arrangements. I'm all the way up to a low 3 stars now, but it could genuinely continue to grow on me yet. I guess that's the beauty of it all, right? 3/5

I’ll give it this: even though I still don’t think it sounds very good at all, I do think it sounds *slightly* better than most of the other hard rock/hair metal from this era that I don’t care for. The drums are the only instrument consistently drowning in reverb, which I appreciate. I just don’t have anything positive to say after that, though. This music isn’t fun or badass to me, and Axl Rose is absolutely in the running for my least favorite front-person of all time. Every now and then, an intro to one of these songs will almost resemble a 70’s Aerosmith or AC/DC song that I can kind of dig, and then…he sings, and it’s ruined. I can’t stand the sound, nor the attitude, of his voice, and that’s not taking his dreadful lyrics into account. Every pinch harmonic and pick slide makes me roll my eyes. If I could never hear “Welcome to the Jungle” and *especially* “Paradise City” ever again, I’d be a happy man. 2/5

What a voice, what a band, what a performer. 4/5

It's all fine, but I never care to listen to it ever again. 3/5

Really interesting, beautiful stuff. I need to be in the right mood for it, but when I am, it’s great. 3.5/5

I don't love it as much as his other two records, but I still like it well enough. Although I’m not as enamored with the lush production as I am the sparseness of Five Leaves Left and especially Pink Moon, his songwriting is still excellent and the album as a whole flows extremely well. 3.5/5

I’m a sucker for these records. Some all-timers on this one. 4/5

Some great stuff. Again, my overall feelings on these hip-hop album experiences stop me from getting too high, but this is definitely my favorite style overall. 3.5/5

Great vibe and sound, but I just don’t think I’m a smart enough listener to be able to love something like this for a whole album. 3.5/5

Very solid Willie record. Love the concept and layout. 4/5

Rock and roll perfection. 5/5

The highs are so unbelievably high. And the craft is *ridiculous*. He’s so fucking talented. It’s just so long and inconsistent, featuring too many questionable tracks. 3.5/5

I liked this album and I will return to it one day. That said, I think it’s more accurate to say that “Bitter Sweet Symphony” is one of the 1,001 Songs to Hear Before You Die, rather than this album being a necessity. 3.5/5

So damn cool. Great songs, great atmosphere. Dangerously close to the 5 star bump. 4.5/5

Metallica isn’t really my cup of tea, but I like them more than all of their contemporaries. There are songs and performances here that I dig well enough. The length is a hindrance, though, and I don’t really need pitch-corrected Hetfield in my life. Still better than Mustaine, though. 2.5/5

I like it. Perhaps one day I’ll love it. 4/5

Basically what I expect from them. Bon era still my favorite. 3.5/5

The band is so loud, yet they make no real noise. The singer is doing so much, yet saying so little. There are so many notes, yet no actual melodies. So much effort for such little payoff. Complete anonymity. Example #36 of “why *must* I hear this before I die?” 2/5

From their debut album, they’ve added both an additional member (Neil Young) and an additional star. 5/5

As high a 4 stars as 4 stars can be. My only real “issue” with this album is that I think it slightly pales in comparison to Live Rust, which is probably my favorite Neil release of all-time and includes the ultimate versions of “Powderfinger” and “Sedan Delivery”, among others. But otherwise, it’s hard to complain about most anything here. Neil is at the top of his game compositionally. I probably rank 6-7 Neil studio albums before this one, but that’s just a testament to the strength of his best output. Albums like this more than make up for shit like This Note’s for You. 4/5

Got “better” as it went on. “Kerosene” the obvious highlight. Will never listen to this again. This rating is generous. 2/5

Pretty dependable rock and roll. Rod’s songs definitely better than Ronnie’s. Not up to the level of the other greats from this time period, but still very good. 3.5/5

I don’t hate or even dislike any of it, but I find it to be quite boring. His flow is fine, but his timbre is unspectacular. And it’s soooo long. I can’t imagine sitting through this whole thing again. 2.5/5

This rules so completely. High 4 stars with room to grow. 4/5

Call me uncultured swine, but I really can’t get much into this at all. 1.5/5

WHO THE HELL IS PICKING THESE ALBUMS?! WHO DECIDED I NEEDED TO HEAR THIS?! 1/5

Dangerously close to 4.5 stars. Perhaps could get there one day. The length did wear on me a bit, but I liked everything and loved most everything. Very cool find. 4/5

I like it, I just can’t get all the way there with it. 3/5

Frank’s not fully formed yet, but still awesome. Lots of good stuff here. 4/5

Dug this more the second time through. Not sure how high its ceiling is, but it could still potentially grow on me further. 3.5/5

A lot more here that I like than I’d initially anticipate. Multiple songs I should go back to. 3.5/5

When I’m in the mood for this, it totally hits the spot. 4/5

I may be the only person on the planet who prefers S/T and Tusk, but my appreciation for and enjoyment of this album has grown slightly. I don’t think it will ever be an all-time favorite, but I like it more now than I ever have. 4/5

Tough to argue with. It only means so much to me, but it’s excellent. 4/5

“Clint Eastwood” is forever a highlight for me, and I appreciate the overall diversity and experimentation of it. I do find it overstays its welcome a bit, and a few songs drift into “vibe”-based anonymity, but it’s more than an easy enough listen. 3.5/5

What’s not to like here? This is just about everything I could want out of this genre in this decade. 4/5

When he sang "You are unbearable" on the first song, I felt that. 1/5

Sabbath isn't my favorite band, but the first four albums are hard to deny. 4/5

A true masterpiece. Top-notch composition and performances. 5/5

Solid, dependable alternative rock. 3.5/5

Another album that I know I’m supposed to like much more than I do, but I still do like regardless. 3.5/5

I think the first half is just about a perfect 5-star album, but personally, the second half kinda loses me. None of the songs are bad, per se, but in my opinion, it just doesn’t maintain the strength of the first 7-8 songs. Still, a hell of an accomplishment for its time, and for a genre of music I’m not absolutely in love with, Frank sure does make me love it for at least half the album. 4/5

One of my favorite new discoveries. What a hell of a voice! 4.5/5

The “That’s All Right” cover is pretty bad, but everything else is really damn good. 4/5

The best stuff is amazing, but there is a fair amount of stuff I’m not crazy about. Still gets the 4 star bump, of course. 3.5/5

Two albums down for Chic and they are still not for me. 2/5

I do actually like a decent amount of this - she has a great voice and has some really great lyrics - but it’s just not totally my thing from a musical perspective. Could stand a revisit of this someday. 3/5

Yeah…this rules. Not my favorite music ever, but holy shit, it’s so damn good. 4/5

Really, really close to 4 stars. Could get there one day. 3.5/5

Lang’s voice is fantastic. Solid arrangements all the way around. Very easy to listen to. 3.5/5

I like this so much more than I ever expected I would. This could grow to 4 stars one day. 3.5/5

Side 1 is very good, and side 2 is *great*. I’d be very surprised if this wasn’t my favorite album of theirs. 4/5

Lots and lots of cool stuff here. Glad this is my first album of his. Room to grow. 4/5

Some decent instrumentals and musical ideas. But man, this guy has some of my least favorite vocal inflections of all-time. 2/5

I actually really like “Invaders”, but it’s downhill for me after that. I like some of the punky influences, but Dickinson is just too over the top for me. 2.5/5

Some really killer songwriting here. It's not my favorite album of all-time by any means, but I can definitely return to this one. 3.5/5

Greg Lake has the perfect voice for this genre, and the production/arrangements/instrument choices on here are all I want from a prog record. 4/5

I much prefer Björk in this environment. It’d be the full four stars if the male singer wasn’t there. 3.5/5

Perfect performance. No notes. 5/5

Solid funk with just the right amount of dirt on it. I love a good extended jam, but agree that certain parts of “City, Country, City” and the title track slightly overstay their welcome. Still, I dig this one well enough and it could potentially keep growing on me over time. 3.5/5

I just don't get this genre at all. I don't like the tones of the instruments, the overall sound, the singing...it's just not for me, I guess. 2/5

I need to be in the right mood for it, but when I am, it kicks major ass. 4/5

Very solid writing and arrangements. Good stuff. Just not my favorite overall. 3.5/5

Part #826 of “I know I should like this even more.” Still, a very high 3.5. Great stuff. 3.5/5

I want to like this so much more than I do. I like a lot of the music - *really* like some of it in fact - but feel a massive disconnect with Anderson’s voice. Shame. 3/5

Although The Basement Tapes was the first Dylan record I heard, Bringing It All Back Home was my real introduction to *Bob Dylan*, that guy with the unique singing voice who writes the mind-blowing lyrics. Perhaps a lot of other younger children would have been turned off, but I was instantly hooked. It was the beginning of a lifelong listening journey that has brought me immeasurable joy and enthrallment. I considered this record my favorite of Bob’s for a long time, no doubt due to my nostalgic attachment. As the years have passed, two albums have overtaken it in my personal rankings, but that holds no bearing on how highly I think of it. Some days, it’s still my favorite, and how could it not be? We finally get the emergence of rock and roll Bob, who nails it right out of the gate with “Subterranean Homesick Blues”, a relentless beat-poet cultural commentary with a Chuck Berry-esque groove and proto-hip-hop vocal delivery. It’s followed up two songs later with “Maggie’s Farm”, an equally quotable and breakneck critique of societal expectations. The combination of Bob’s pointed vocals and the band’s rickety drive create a sound unlike anything that came before it, a sound that still aids these two major compositions after all these years. Their urgency is also crucial to the spirited “Outlaw Blues” and the persistent boogie of “Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream”, two additional rocking highlights. For all of the attention this album receives as the introduction to electric Dylan, the ballads on Bringing It All Back Home are responsible for so much of its greatness. The studio band is wonderfully tasteful on “She Belongs to Me” and “Love Minus Zero/No Limit”, two remarkable celebrations of love that rank among my top 25 Dylan tracks. Then, of course, we’re treated to the acoustic second side of the record, beginning with the psychedelic masterpiece of “Mr. Tambourine Man”: Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free Silhouetted by the sea Circled by the circus sands With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves Let me forget about today until tomorrow The glorious lyrical imagery combined with Bob’s top-notch vocal is sheer brilliance. Bruce Langhorne’s electric guitar work acts as a nice textural feature as well, ensuring that the recording is as good as the song itself. Dylan also receives accompaniment on the album’s closer, “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue”, joined by William E. Lee on bass as he delivers one of the grandest melodies he’s ever written. The lyrics and soundscape are as mournful as “Mr. Tambourine Man” is joyous, marking an arresting end to the record. Sandwiched in between these two giants are two completely virtuosic lyrical exercises. “Gates of Eden” and “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)” are not only the two most evocative songs he’d written up until this point; they remain two of his most engrossing songs to this day. The latter in particular is still one of the most quotable tracks in his catalog (“He not busy being born is busy dying”; “Even the President of the United States sometimes must have to stand naked”), and its criticism of American consumerism and political hypocrisy, among other things, is as relevant today as it ever was. Whenever I take time away from Bringing It All Back Home, I’m always shocked when I return to it and remember how loaded it is. I know the track listing front-to-back, but to actually hear this group of songs in sequence is an experience I always treasure. I’d venture to say nine of the 11 tracks are in or close to my top 100 Dylan songs, and six - “Subterranean Homesick Blues”, “She Belongs to Me”, “Love Minus Zero”, “Mr. Tambourine Man”, “It’s Alright, Ma”, and “Baby Blue” - are probably in my top 30 alone. The fact that it works so well as a cohesive whole solidifies it as a top 3 Dylan record in my book, and one that I’ll always be grateful for. Least favorite track: “On the Road Again”. Super fun musically, and some memorable lyrics (“Your grandpa’s cane, it turns into a sword/Your grandma prays to pictures that are pasted on a board”). It’s just surrounded by so many titanic compositions, and it’s the one I return to least. Favorite track: “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)”. In addition to my aforementioned points, I’m totally in love with Bob’s focused, intense vocals and propulsive guitar work. It’s absolutely phenomenal; my third favorite Dylan track. 5+/5

Pre-listen: WHAT THE FUCK, I LITERALLY JUST GOT THE OTHER ONE FOUR DAYS AGO, JESUS CHRIST. After listening: Eh. Some good stuff, but nothing that moves me. 3/5

Gahhh there’s some stuff I like here, but it’s just not doing it for me on the whole. 2.5/5

There are some damn good Bowie albums before Hunky Dory, but this is the first *great* one. Not my absolute favorite, but truly fantastic. 4.5/5

I completely understand why this is usually peoples’ #1 or #2 Springsteen record. Totally stacked track list, almost every song here is out of this world good. I’ve never been a massive fan of “Something in the Night” or “Candy’s Room”, but everything else is top-notch. Bruce’s songwriting shifts on this record; he writes in a very particular way on his first two albums, tweaks it slightly on Born to Run, and then sort of settles into I guess what you’d call the modern Springsteen mold on this record. His storytelling isn’t any less complex, but his actual language is. He gets a bit more direct, but still very poetic and fantastic at painting a picture with his words. He’s also a total badass guitar player on this record, you hear it right off the bat in “Badlands”, an awesome upbeat pop-rocker that he adds some really gnarly guitar work on. And he kicks it up several notches in track two, “Adam Raised a Cain”, easily the most blistering, incendiary guitar playing in his catalog, and a killer song to boot. I could go on all day about some of these songs, “The Promised Land”, the title track, “Prove It All Night”...it’s a wonderful collection of songs. It’s only my #3 because I have that much love for Born to Run and The Wild, The Innocent…, but still an easy 4.5 stars and an easy 1,001 5 star bump. 4.5/5

I’m extremely high on Bowie’s last three records, including this one obviously. I think he sounds great vocally and musically reinvigorated. Granted, I’m pre-dispositioned to more organic sounds, but I still don’t think these arrangements or production stylings are by the numbers or stale or anything. Just a great batch of songs, one of my favorite albums of 2013. 4/5

I tend to get less out of "primitive" hip-hop than I do out of the origins of other genres, but these guys were clearly still so far ahead of the game. Even if some of their flows and rhymes sound elementary to our modern ears, their subject matter and lyrical intelligence are certainly next level compared to many of their contemporaries. Both Run and D.M.C.'s timbres work so well with Jay's beats, and their interplay is pretty clever as well. I currently have Raising Hell at a low 3.5 stars; this one could potentially get there, too. 3/5

3 Bowie records in six days, huh? Between this and back-to-back k.d. lang's/near-back-to-back Rufus Wainwright's, y'all need to get this randomizer in check. Anyway, another solid Bowie record, what can I say? "Panic in Detroit" is particularly a favorite for me here. 4/5

There's nothing inherently bad about this, but dear God is it fucking boring. This may have more historical significance than a lo-fi hip-hop Spotify playlist, but it sure as hell doesn't have any more or less quality than one. In fact, it may have less diversity. Again, I ask: why did I *have* to hear this before I died? 1.5/5

Doesn't hit me as hard as the first album, but still very good. 3.5/5

A lot of good music and a few great tracks - "Safe from Harm" and "Hymn of the Big Wheel" are my favorites - but consistently bad vocals and lyrics. Not something I'm likely to return to too much. 3/5

I totally understand it/him not being everyone’s thing. I don’t think it’s a spectacular record by any means; the first two tracks are easily the best in my opinion, and the last half of the album drags a bit. I also fully understand why anyone would be turned off by Em’s lyrics/delivery, and truth be told, I don’t think he nails it on every song. But when he’s at the top of his game, I think his depravity is extremely effective, be it humorous or unnerving. And I’ll be damned if “My Name Is” (and it’s beyond tasty Labi Siffre sample) doesn’t hit hard for me every single time. 3.5/5

A cool little surprise. I could stand to come back to this. 3.5/5

I like this about as much as I'm ever bound to like a hybrid of smooth soul and sophisto-pop. Which is still not very much. 2.5/5

As crazy as it sounds, given this laughably low score for one of the most beloved albums of all-time, I’ve actually come a long way with Purple Rain. When I made my inaugural “Prince I Like” playlist a few years ago, I didn’t include anything from this record. I didn’t particularly enjoy any of the songs I’d heard a thousand times, and none of the album cuts stood out to me. If I were to make said playlist now, I’d include a few tracks, “Darling Nikki” most certain of all. I dig the dirtier sounding drums and the delightful weirdness/borderline lo-fi-ness of it all. It has climbed pretty high up my list of favorite Prince songs in recent years. Even though I really don’t enjoy the drum sounds or synth stabs, I’d probably still include “Let’s Go Crazy” for the guitar work alone (I’d also consider throwing “Computer Blue” on there for the same reasons, though the second half of the song doesn’t do nearly as much for me as the gnarly first half does). The song I’ve come the farthest with, though, is “When Doves Cry”. Although I still don’t particularly dig the synth tone, I’ve grown to appreciate the sparser arrangement of it and the killer guitar tone. Otherwise…I don’t know, y’all. I know I’m the weird one. I know I’m the “wrong” one. I truly, honest to God recognize, respect, and occasionally enjoy his talent, but I just don’t fully “get” this classic era of Prince. I don’t enjoy his singing voice most of the time. I have a difficult time with the sound of these records, especially the drums and synthesizers. Stylistically, I struggle with the particular brand of R&B he tends to draw from. For instance, everyone loses their mind over "I Would Die 4 U", and that makes me feel the biggest sense of disconnect, because I think it sounds terrible. Same with "The Beautiful Ones". Hell, even the title track - a song which most rational people would argue is one of the best ever - has never moved me whatsoever. I don't hate it, and was as genuinely taken with his Super Bowl performance as anyone else, but I don't care/need to hear it ever again. Especially not the laughably echoing drums on it. When I listen to this album, I feel like I'm acknowledging and appreciating its greatness from a distance, rather than feeling immersed in and taken by it. I'm glad it reaches so many people on a deeper level, but it still doesn't have that high a ceiling for me. I definitely enjoy it much more than 1999, but I still think Sign o' the Times is the classic album that stands the best chance of rising higher in my estimations. 3/5

What an album. "But the Attractions aren't with him yet!" Yes, I know, and I do love them too. But not only is the pub rock energy of this album so damn good, but the *songs* just can't be argued with. I love it. Probably should be a proper 5-star. At the very least, it gets the bump for this website. 4.5/5

Sorry, I know I'm supposed to worship the tortured genius of Syd, but Floyd's debut does nothing for me. I have little patience for the precious British whimsy of it all, especially combined with severely undercooked psychedelia that's not nearly on the same level of other artists coming out around this time. I will continue to give out other high scores for Floyd, but this won't be one of them. 2/5

Fourth Bowie album in two weeks. But this one truly is perfect. I don't hold him on the pedestal that many others do - he's probably a top 100 artist for me, but not top 20 - but even despite that, and despite wishing I liked glam-rock more than I do, there's just no way I can deny the incredible songwriting and performances on this record. As cliche as it may be, it's my favorite of his. 5/5

“By the Time I Get to Arizona” was something of a revelation. What a fucking track! Great writing overall, but the rest of it musically doesn’t do much for me. 3/5

Just so damn good. “Coyote”, “Amelia”, “Furry Sings the Blues”, “Blue Motel Room”…perfect songs. I’m honestly not a huge Jaco fan, but his presence here doesn’t even bother me. Probably only my 4th favorite Joni record, which speaks to her complete excellence. 4.5/5

Part #625 of “I don’t like this as much as I’m supposed to.” But I do like it. And I LOVE “Cherub Rock”. Just not an all-time favorite. 3.5/5

Fuck, this is incredibly good. Could be a true 5-star album for me someday. For now, it's just on the edge, but enough to get the bump here. 4.5/5

“Them Changes” rules. There’s a lot of care and talent put into this. It’s just not my thing overall. 2.5/5

It’s too long, but man, so much of it is fucking awesome. One of my highest 4 star ratings so far, could easily be 4.5 one day. 4/5

Meh. Some great stuff here and he’s obviously a hell of a producer, but I won’t ever return to this. My ceiling for hip-hop strikes again. 3/5

Very good and pleasant. Not sure how much I ever need to hear it again. 3/5

Sorry, y’all. I just don’t know how anyone takes this music (or at least these vocals) seriously. 1.5/5

This was totally fine, professional, pleasant, and inoffensive. But I did absolutely not need to hear this before dying. 3/5

Likely my second favorite Neil studio record. Love everything about it. 5/5

Not *quite* perfect (he gets there on the next record), but still pretty fucking awesome. 4.5/5

I can tell this is very well done. I just don't particularly like it. 2/5

Evans was an amazing player and musical mind; there's a reason that Miles entrusted him to man the piano for Kind of Blue. His work on that record speaks for itself, as does his work on Oliver Nelson's The Blues & The Abstract Truth and quite a bit of his solo material. And yet, while I find albums like Sunday at the Village Vanguard perfectly easy and enjoyable to listen to, I don't find him as engaging as many other pianists when it comes to leading a trio. As some people here have pointed out, the late, great Scott LaFaro often appears to be the MVP of this performance (a claim that Evans himself might not have disputed), but with all due respect to him, I want to hear Evans handle a little bit more of the heavy lifting. Which isn't to say that Bill isn't amazing; I think his playing on "Gloria's Step" and "Alice in Wonderland", in particular, is spectacular. I just don't think, especially at this point in his career, he was the most charismatic performer, and while I don't want/need him to be Jerry Lee Lewis behind the piano, I find myself gravitating toward people like Red Garland, Ahmad Jamal, and a host of other pianists when I consider who I'd prefer to hear in this environment. Still, good stuff. 3.5/5

Clearly a talented writer, but it’s a little too hammy for me. 3/5

All these songs are way too long, Paul Buchanan doesn’t sound as good as he does on Hats, and I just don’t like this production. Blegh. 2/5

Pre-listen: I’m so fucking sick of so many fucking 80’s albums. I hope I’m wrong and I look/sound like an idiot, but oh my god, it feels like every other album is from this wretched decade. Post-listen: nope, wasn’t wrong. More terribly boring and dated music to be filed away under the worst, most pretentious genre name: “sophisti-pop.” Spare me your declarations of how “intelligent” it is. “Someone Somewhere” isn’t the worst leadoff track, the energy of “Colours Fly and Catherine Wheel” is somewhat interesting, and the bass line on “Glittering Prize” rips. But I really don’t understand the appeal of this production or general style 99% of the time, and although Jim Kerr is not a terrible vocalist, he’s terribly anonymous, and that may be even worse. 2.5/5

It’s Bland! 2/5

I don’t like it as much as I “should”, and I seem to be in the minority in thinking that “Beauty and the Beast” is lame as hell. However, the title track is an all-timer, and I actually quite like a lot of the ambient stuff. 3.5/5

Goddamn, this is REALLY fucking cool. Not at all what I was expecting. Insane mix of jazz and classical. I need to learn more about this. Lots of room to grow here. 4/5

Despite liking the majority of their albums, this one towers over everything else for me. They sound bigger and more powerful than they had before, but they do so without sacrificing a shred of musicality or identity. They still clearly sound like R.E.M., and for my money, they sound like the absolute best version of R.E.M. Stipe’s vocals (and Mills’, for that matter) are confident and dynamic, the band is locked in and firing on all cylinders, and the songwriting is top-notch. In addition to the two big hits, I’ll never tire of “Finest Worksong” and “Exhuming McCarthy” in particular. This one’s an easy 5 stars for me; on some days, it challenges Rain Dogs as my favorite album of the decade. 5/5

Yes, you do need to hear this before you die. Not just because it’s extremely ahead of its time, but because it fucking rules. 4/5

Some really great stuff here. Excited to keep going back to this. 4/5

Solid writing, but far too subdued and one-note for me to really like that much. 2.5/5

Janis was one of the first vocalists I ever loved. And I still love her dearly. She’s so genuinely passionate, vulnerable, and powerful…really, the only “bad” thing about this record is how sad it makes me to think that we lost her so soon. Practically every song is a highlight here, with the instrumental “Buried Alive in the Blues” perhaps being the only “weak” link. Fantastic record. 4.5/5

Haven’t really had my “a-ha!” moment with Berman yet, but there’s some great music here and he’s clearly a great lyricist. I hope I’ll “get it” more one day. 3.5/5

There’s a sheen to it that I struggle with, but some damn good songs. “Slow Burn” is tremendous. This could potentially grow one day. 3/5

Good and perfectly professional, but not my favorite era of the band, and not my favorite sound in general. 3.5/5

Realizing I don’t really *love* glam-rock, but still, very solid record. Will definitely return to it one day. 3.5/5

A very enjoyable, inconsequential record that I did not “need to hear before I died.” 3.5/5

Awesome, awesome soul jazz. Jimmy’s playing is so fluid, and Stanley Turrentine has one of the most perfect tenor sax tones ever. Great shit. 4.5/5

Per usual with Beck, highly inventive and entertaining. 4/5

The first half of this album is a major, sanitized bummer. It’s so disappointing to hear a legend like Hooker enveloped by shitty 80’s production and forced guest stars. The second half, when the arrangements are dialed back a bit, is much better. Personally? I see no need to reach for this when his classic material is available. 3/5

Seriously fun hard rock. 3.5/5

They saved their best for last. Not a wasted note, in my opinion. Perfection. 5/5

There are some moments in here that I dig, but overall, this is very much not for me. 2/5

Clearly well-constructed baroque pop that I just don’t care that much about. 3/5

Perhaps I’m coming around to them yet. Still don’t love Geddy’s voice a lot of the time, but I can deal with these instrumentals and production. 3.5/5

I can’t believe this is on the list. Didn’t like it when I was 9, don’t like it now. 1/5

Deserves all the praise it’s gotten. Absolutely magnificent across the board: the playing, the songwriting, the production, the sequencing, everything. A truly perfect record. 5/5

Surprised to find this one grow on me with an additional listen! Cole is a clever songwriter and solid vocalist, not falling into some of the typical traps that a lot of 80's singers in this genre tend to. Great band arrangements; mostly rooted in dependable jangle pop, shades of sophisti-pop without overdoing it. I have to imagine this would easily make my top 25 of 1984. 4/5

It’s just not something I’m going to listen to a whole lot, but goddamn is Frank good. Some of these are just miraculous. Will never not love “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”. 3.5/5

I was always a casual fan of Fugazi's via my dad's record collection, but never dove into them too much. I know I really dig the debut EP, and after two listens, I like this one a good bit too. I generally prefer MacKaye's songs to Picciotto's, but think they're both worthy songwriters and frontmen at the end of the day. They strike a solid balance between abrasiveness and accessibility, and they're damn good instrumentalists to boot. 4/5

Perhaps critics and the general public just needed a bit of time to make sure the world wouldn’t end, but three years after announcing, and subsequently being blamed for, the Beatles’ breakup, Paul delivered a record that finally won everyone over. It would have been pretty hard to deny this one; it still sounds like a massive success 50 years later, thanks in no small part to the fact that it contains three verifiable classics. The title track is one of Paul’s all-time crowning achievements, with three distinct sections expertly crafted, connected, and performed. Tony Visconti provides some exquisite orchestration to fill out an already-flawless soundscape, and, setting a tone for most every song on the record, the three-part harmonies between Paul, Linda, and Denny Laine are supremely good. “Jet” is the first true rocker of Paul’s solo career, kicking off with an effective three-note guitar/saxophone riff before exploding into a rush of pure energy featuring one of Mr. McCartney’s finest drumming performances. And “Let Me Roll It” is one of Paul’s most beloved ballads for good reason. Seen by some as a tribute to John with its snarling riff, use of tape echo, and repetitive lyrics, it contains an unbelievable lead vocal from Paul, enhanced with glorious harmonies in the choruses, and great Hammond organ from Linda. These three songs, like the album as a whole, stand the test of time; the masterclass of songwriting that is the title track may be my personal favorite, but all three rank among the best of Paul’s solo career, and their popularity is well-deserved. That’s not to say the other tracks on Band On The Run aren’t also gems. In particular, I have never been able to get enough of the bizarrely fun “Mrs Vandebilt.” The infectious “ho-hey-ho” background vocals and hilarious banter at the end of the song are overwhelmingly appealing, so much so that they threaten to, but thankfully don’t, overshadow the abundance of brilliant performances on the song. Linda’s electric piano playing is excellent, as are Howard Casey’s saxophone solos, and Paul delivers both his best bass playing on the album and marvelous dual-lead guitar work with Denny. Following “Let Me Roll It” is another first-class ballad in “Mamunia.” Featuring superb acoustic guitar work from Paul and Moog synthesizer from Linda, it is a beautiful and calming call to consider the positive in every seemingly negative situation (“The rain comes falling from the sky to fill the stream that fills the sea/And that’s where life began for you and me/So the next time you see rain, it ain’t bad/Don’t complain it rains for you”). “Picasso’s Last Words (Drink To Me)” has an intriguingly drowsy ambiance that sounds effectively akin to a dream of someone on their deathbed. Just like a dream, it glides by lazily at points before unexpectedly shifting; motifs and choruses weave in and out of each other effortlessly; two previous songs, “Jet” and “Mrs Vandebilt,” are quoted and integrated brilliantly. It is remarkably intricate, yet it floats by so smoothly. It’s another perfect example on this record of Paul flexing his muscles with true confidence for the first time in his solo career. The results are spectacular, and although I can’t deem it my favorite McCartney record like many others, Band On The Run is a complete, undoubted success. 5/5

I think this album well executes the marriage of their most rocking material up to this point and the more electronic aspects of their previous two albums. I think it runs a bit too long, but it’s probably my fourth favorite Radiohead. One of the few albums of theirs you could unironically say doesn't get enough credit. 4/5

I also prefer Nevermind, which may make me a basic bitch, but I don't care. Nevermind and Unplugged were the ones that changed my life; In Utero was the one that I "only" really liked. But I've continued to really like it through the years, and even if it doesn't totally get all the way up to 5 stars for me on a personal enjoyment level, it's still a tremendous group of songs. 4.5/5

Horrifically boring and, more damning for the legitimacy of this list, horrifically inessential. 1/5

I initially had this at 2.5 stars; although I appreciated the lyrical content right away, I found it to be a bit long and one-note. It musically revealed itself a bit more to me on second listen, and even though I’d probably still cut a few songs (and it’s not my preferred era of this genre), I think it could still continue to rise for me. 3/5

Closer to 4.5 stars than you might think. If a few of the non-hits were on the same level as the hits, it would be there. At least. Skynyrd has developed a strange reputation thanks to the atrocity that is the reunion-era band, the played-out "Free Bird" jokes, and "Sweet Home Alabama" attaining a level of radio overplay that should be illegal. But don't sleep on the original lineup's albums. It's not just good southern rock; it's damn good rock and roll period. 4/5

Lana tends to horrifically bore me, but this is my favorite of hers so far. 2.5/5

I could probably list close to 200 albums with an argument to be included on this list. Albums that serve to truly enrich the life of the listener. Albums with unbelievable cultural and historical significance. Albums that speak to and/or make sense of the human experience. In lieu of those hundreds of albums, the curator of this project decided to include Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water by Limp Bizkit. They made dozens of questionable decisions, but perhaps none more nonsensical than this one. It's a shame that one star is the lowest rating we're allowed here. 0/5

Meh. Inoffensive, but inessential. No desire to ever hear it again. 2.5/5

Probably only my fourth favorite Costello record and somehow still on the verge of 5 stars. Just wonderfully performed and written. 4.5/5

I initially gave this a light 3.5 when I first heard it, but I’ve heard it a few more times since then and it’s lowered in my estimation every time. Other than “Seven Seas of Rhye”, side B is verrrrry trying for me. Honestly, my favorite song on the record is Roger Taylor’s “The Loser in the End”. I get why a lot of people really dig it, but this could be my least favorite of their 70’s output. 3/5

It all sounds good, but it’s overlong and not much of it excites or grabs me. I’ll come back to it sometime and see if I feel differently. 3/5

Not to be dismissed as a Summer of Love relic, there’s a lot of damn good stuff here. 4/5

The title track is an all-timer. The rest of the album doesn’t live up to it, but a decent listen overall. 3.5/5

There are elements and songs here I like (“Swampsnake”) in particular, but it’s not coming together all the way for me. Interested to see how I feel if I ever revisit it. 3/5

I am not a huge fan of typical 1980’s production stylings, and there are times on this album where the gated drums are a bit much for me, or there’s a little too much echo for my liking. However, the songs are so good, and in recent years, I’ve come around to it more and more. The title track, which sounds like a fun, upbeat song on first listen, is a great, biting commentary on the state of America post-Vietnam. “I’m on Fire” is a really effective song, I love the bed of synths that really set the mood well. “Dancing in the Dark”, kind of like the title track, at first glance is just this fun upbeat pop song, but some really heavy lyrics underneath it all, really fantastic song. I love “Downbound Train”, “No Surrender”, the closer “My Hometown”...even though it’s only my ninth favorite Springsteen album, I still really like it a lot, and I have just recently bumped it up to 4 stars. 4/5

I never cared about this band. I still don’t, but I recognize that this is still pretty decent. 3.5/5

I’m still learning how to love Leonard Cohen. This one may connect with me more if/whenever I get more into him. I can tell how good the writing is, and certain songs resonate with me. I’m just not all the way there with it. 3.5/5

God, I want to like this *so much more than I do*. I like Jeff Lynne, or at least I think I do. I think his three-album run as producer of Cloud Nine, Traveling Wilburys Vol. One, and Full Moon Fever in the late 80's can be stacked up against any three-album run by any producer. But...I don't know. Everything here is *so* clean and *so* sheen that I just don't really connect with it. And it's always so, so much. Chill on the vocoder and the strings. Yes, I KNOW that's your thing and why so many people love this, but not me. It's not bad, and there are songs I dig (especially "Jungle" and "Mr. Blue Sky"), but it's not anywhere near the top of my list. 3/5

Equally fascinating, entertaining, stimulating, and important. 4/5

As inoffensive as it is inconsequential. 3/5

This must be the most accessible Beefheart, but that doesn’t mean it’s not damn good. 4/5

They've honestly grown on me and I've gained more appreciation for them than I've ever had. The stuff on here I like the most, I think is legitimately very cool. But a lot of it still doesn't do much (if anything) for me, some of the songs are way too long, and the album as a whole is too long. 2.5/5

Infectious to the nth degree. Don’t see what there’s not to love about it. Solid bangers top to bottom. Incredible hooks, some subtly interesting arrangements, absolutely perfect guitar tones, and killer energy, all packed in less than half an hour. Probably my 1976 AOTY. 5/5

Competent and pleasant, with a few distinctly solid tracks. Just not mindblowing or essential. 3.5/5

Extra half-star for the cool orchestral elements. And honestly, there are some other musical elements that pop up every now and then that I don't hate. But for the most part, this is verrrrrrry much not for me. 1.5/5

Bridges the gap perfectly between quirky and accessible, experimental and straightforward. 4/5

Better than I expected, but still not very good and way too long. 2/5

Some cool ideas, but I much prefer where Spiritualized eventually ends up. Overall too droney and repetitive, especially because my brain isn't fried on acid. 2.5/5

After two Waterboys albums, I feel pretty confident that I like but will never love them. And that's okay. There *is* some excellent stuff on here, though. 3.5/5

Was waffling back and forth between my long-standing 4 stars and a high 3.5, but the highlights are too damn good for me to consider changing now. I could probably live with a nice compilation of my favorites between this and Frank, but overall, I just think she was an amazing talent and I wish we could have seen where she'd go from here. 4/5

Volume 683 of “I wish I liked this more”, but still really good. 3.5/5

The perfect soundtrack for my foggy late-night drive home from work. Albeit not on the level of Daydream Nation or Goo, in my opinion, very engrossing experimental, noisy goodness. 4/5

“Shining Star” is fantastic. There are some other decent elements, but most of it is too cheesy. 2.5/5

The obvious, boring choice for my favorite album of his, but I can’t lie to myself. I don’t want to say it’s not close, because I do love Darkness and Wild Innocent, but I simply don’t have a remotely negative thing to say about Born to Run. I think it’s a perfect album. 5 of its 8 songs are some of my favorite Springsteen songs ever, and the other 3 are no slouches, either. Front to back, it is a masterclass of killer songwriting, and exuberant performances. And, I think similarly to the album before it, a bit of a singular work in Bruce’s catalog. You’ve basically got the classic E Street lineup in place now (Stevie Van Zandt isn’t fully in the fold yet, but he contributes a couple vocal parts and helps with the horn arrangement on “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”), but it kind of exists in this world halfway in between the straightforward heartland rock that they’ll become known for and the jazzier arrangements of the first two albums, and Bruce’s songwriting exists in that in between as well. And for me, that’s the ultimate sweet spot. I love Bruce, and I love what he was tapping into on his first couple of records, and I love a lot of what he’s done over the last 45 years, but Born to Run is quite easily the pinnacle for me. He was so hungry to succeed; he is the quintessential “I don’t have any other options” kind of musician, he had to make sure this worked out for him, and you hear that hunger in every single song. I don’t think his voice has ever sounded more passionate than it does on Born to Run. That voice really drives every song; regardless of what tempo these songs are, they always feel like they’re propulsing forward. There’s such an incredible movement to this record. And as desperate as you can tell he is, he still takes the time to basically write a love letter to the music that speaks to him the most. You can hear shades of Orbison in his voice, you get the Bo Diddley and Buddy Holly influences in “She’s the One”, the Stax-style horns on “Tenth-Avenue Freeze Out”, obviously the shades of Dylan and Van Morrison in the lyrics. He throws it all into this blender and it still comes out sounding like nothing that came before it. I think it sounds so original, and still so fresh today. Overflowing with creativity and emotion and power. A total masterpiece in my book, an easy 5 stars, and my favorite Bruce Springsteen album. 5/5

This album is a mess of beautiful contradictions. Inaccessible, but inviting. Dirty and brutal, but fun and melodic. Terrible, but awesome. I think it’s fantastic. 4/5

Their first perfect album. God, what an unbelievable set of songs. And the energy! Unmatched. My sixth favorite Beatles record, and it would probably be my favorite for about 98% of other artists. 5/5

This one has aged really well. Great social commentary. My ceiling for hip-hop strikes again, but it's very close to 4 stars. 3.5/5

Very close to 4 stars. Would easily be at least that without all the side 2 narration. The actual music is awesome. 3.5/5

Good and pleasant, just a bit inconsistent. I also don't necessarily mind when artists emulate other artists, but there were a few too many times on this record where I thought they were aping someone else. 3/5

Of the four Fela records I've heard, this one is pretty easily my favorite. I can occasionally struggle with the Afrobeat repetition as well if I'm not in the mood for it, but both of these songs feature more than enough moving melodic parts to "offset" it. The passion in his voice is quite striking as well; I can see this one growing on me if my appreciation for the genre grows a bit. 4/5

I am completely incapable of enjoying this music, well performed/arranged/written as it might be. 1.5/5

Jeff Beck is pretty obviously the star of the show here. The Yardbirds are one of many groups from this era whose studio albums don't really paint the clearest picture of their history or impact, and I'm generally lukewarm on them anyway, but this is still highly listenable to me. "Over Under Sideways Down" the clear highlight. 3.5/5

I love Music from Big Pink. A stellar, groundbreaking, magical record, an easy 5 stars and probable top 50 album all-time for me. And I think this one is even better. What it lacks in mysterious psychedelia it gains in even more gorgeous intimacy. All three vocalists sound better than they ever have or ever will. Likely a top 20-25 all-time album. I’m so grateful for its existence. 5+/5

I have as much of a sentimental attachment to In Rainbows as I could have for any of Radiohead's albums. I vividly remember when it was surprise released as a pay-what-you-want deal; I was a junior in high school, 16 years old, working at a movie theater, and a couple of slightly older co-workers were mind-blown. I was too, to a degree - I wasn't aware of any other artist having done anything like that before - but since they were huge fans, it impacted them especially hard. I don't think I had heard a full album of theirs yet; although I knew "Fake Plastic Trees", "High and Dry", and "Karma Police" and liked them all, most Radiohead fans I knew were so insufferable that it stopped me from exploring further. But this was such a unique event that it convinced me to "buy" it for free and dive in. I was surprised to find that I liked it pretty much immediately and without reservation! Even still, I only listened a handful of times before it kind of fell to the back of my mind. I revisited it every now and then throughout the years to try and rebel against my Radiohead-averse attitude, was always reminded of its greatness, and promptly put it in my back pocket again. Although I still have somewhat conflicting feelings on the band, I have very much gotten over that initial hesitancy and would say, overall, that I'm a fan, if not to the level that many are. And even though I enjoy all of their albums to varying degrees, In Rainbows is still my favorite. It's the perfect blend of all their rocking and electronic tendencies. Colin Greenwood and Philip Selway are personally the stars of the show for me; every groove, as well as their individual tones/sounds are out of this world. This one may continue to rise in my estimations; going 5 stars for the site. 4.5/5

I literally just listened to this for the first time earlier today. Are you guys fucking spying on me?!?!?! You'll be hearing from my lawyer. I think Tori is a damn good lyricist. I certainly feel a disconnect with some of the more "theatrical" elements, though I don't personally feel that they dominate the album. Whereas the Kate Bush that I'm familiar with feels very rooted in a style of pop music that I'm not a huge fan of, Tori sounds a lot more rooted in a brand of songwriting that I relate to and appreciate more. "Crucify", "Girl", "Happy Phantom", "Leather", and "Me and a Gun" stand out in particular to me, and even though I don't think I'll ever be a huge fan of hers or even return to this album all that much, I definitely don't take too much issue with it in general. 3.5/5

When I was 15 years old, I got a free ticket to go see Peter Frampton in Newport, Rhode Island. I knew and liked the three big radio hits - "Show Me the Way", "Baby, I Love Your Way", "Do You Feel Like We Do" - and free is free, so why not? Before the show started, the venue made a big to-do that no one was allowed to stand in the space between the front of the stage and the front row; alas, by the middle of the first song, there were quite a few people right up in there. Halfway through the set, Frampton ripped into a killer cover of "Black Hole Sun". My friend and I thought it was super badass, so we tried to sneak up to the front. A security guard stopped us and explained that the only people allowed to stand either had front row tickets or exclusive VIP passes. As we returned to our seats disappointed, I turned around to see Frampton looking at us with a confused expression. During the next song, a killer version of "(I'll Give You) Money", a couple more people tried to get up front and were also stopped. As the song kept playing, Peter announced, "Let the people come up and dance! If they can't get up here and dance, I'm walking off this stage." My friend and I looked at each other and *booked it* to the front, as did many others. The security guards continued to try and stop a few people, which Frampton objected to. He cued the band to stop, took his guitar off, and left the stage. I remember saying to my friend, "Even if he doesn't come back, this is the most badass concert ever." Sure enough, though, he returned about 10 minutes later with a shit-eating grin on his face and said, "Let's pick that one back up from my guitar solo." He finished the song (and the set) while my friend and I got to enjoy it from right up front, and to this day, it's one of the coolest, most respectable rock star moves I've ever witnessed. I suppose I can understand why he may not be everyone's cup of tea, and I'm sure some people of a certain generation got burnt out on this album's hype, but I will never have anything but the utmost respect for Peter Frampton. And this album is pretty damn good. 4/5

Perfect energy. 4/5

Killer amalgam of punk, blues, rockabilly, and more. Wish more of the 80's sounded like this. 4/5

I’m truly just not the biggest vocal Jazz guy, but this is very good. She was excellent. 3.5/5

Very good, but they’re still one album away from true greatness. 3.5/5

Definitely a bit slight in terms of composition and variety, but I still dig it a good amount based on the strength of the playing and the overall style. 3.5/5

The album that changed my life. I would quite literally not be the person I am without it. These days, it’s only my third favorite Beatles album, but still likely my fifth favorite of all-time by anyone. Just massively important, personally and otherwise. I love every single second of it and wouldn’t change a thing about it. Eternally grateful. I’m so lucky to live in a world where this exists. 5+/5

I don't know how much I find truly great, but I think most of it is pretty damn good. A high 3.5 with room to grow to a true 4 stars one day. 3.5/5

I truly do not want or need this type of music in my life. Well crafted for what it is, but it's not for me. 2/5

It's good. Good enough to get the 4 star bump here. But I'm missing something with this band and I'm not sure what it is. 3.5/5

I love Led Zeppelin. They are a top 5-6 band all-time for me. They have impacted my life so much in so many ways. But I push back on this being their magnum opus, as some fans claim it so obviously is. To me, they were never better than they were on their first four albums, when Plant’s voice was in his prime and Page and Bonham weren’t *as* junked out as they were by their middle/end years. That’s when they were their absolute mightiest in every way. Yes, they evolved as songwriters in certain ways as time went on, and at their best, that paid major dividends. But it also led to far more swings and misses than there were over their first four albums, and while I respect those efforts, I can’t say I like them more. I like every song on this album to varying degrees, and two of them - “Ten Years Gone” and “In the Light” - are among my 10 or 15 favorite Led Zeppelin songs. I also quite like “Down by the Seaside”, “Houses of the Holy”, “Night Flight”, and “The Rover”. But “Kashmir” is among my “least favorite” Zeppelin hits, and as good as “Custard Pie”, “The Wanton Song”, “Black Country Woman”, and “Sick Again” are, I’ll take basically every song on the first four albums over them, especially because I can probably find analogous songs over the first four albums that are superior. This is a great record, one I cherish in its own way, but it’s not *my* Zeppelin record. A very, very high 4 stars. 4/5

Tough to argue with. It only means so much to me, but it’s excellent. 4/5

I like it. Perhaps one day I’ll love it. 4/5

My second favorite Radiohead. I don’t love it enough to get it to 5 stars, but it could get there one day. 4.5/5

The rare double album that gets better as it goes on. Interested to revisit this down the line, especially after refamiliarizing myself with their early records. 3.5/5

After Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars a few years ago, my favorite quote came courtesy of Daniel Radcliffe when he was asked about the incident: "I'm just so already dramatically bored of hearing people's opinions about it that I just don't want to be another opinion adding to it." That is kind of how I feel about Taylor Swift; I respect that (and understand why) her music means so much to so many people, and I equally respect that (and understand why) so many are annoyed by her constant presence in the mainstream. But what about people like me, who are kind of just in the middle of it all? Why must I be forced to have an opinion on someone who I don't particularly care about?! Truth be told, I don't blame Taylor. Perhaps it's her "fault" that she's gained such cultural significance in the fact that she's written a multitude of hit songs and has had an incredible marketing team around her for nearly two decades now, but it's not her fault that our pop culture-obsessed society operates the way it does in lifting certain celebrities up on a pedestal and/or shoving them down our throats. At the end of the day, I suppose it goes both ways: we love the players, and she loves the game. Anyway, I digress. I'm just so dramatically bored of feeling the need to either love or hate Taylor Swift. And truth be told, I don't love or hate this album. It shouldn't surprise anyone that I'm not the biggest pop girlie in the world; the poppiest moments on this record - "I Wish You Would" and "How You Get the Girl" in particular - grate on me quite a bit, and yes, the overall style of 1989 is not one that I would normally gravitate toward. However, I find I tend to like modern, 80's inspired pop slightly more than actual 80's pop because, even if I don't love the production, I still find the sounds more palatable than the ones from 40+ years ago. To that end, this isn't the hardest album for me to listen to, and there are moments/songs I genuinely enjoy, particularly on Side A. "Welcome to New York" has some really fascinating production elements, and I really like some of the dissonant vocal harmonies. Additionally, I might have told you 10 years ago that I was sick and tired of "Shake It Off" and "Blank Space", but these days, I find the former to be extremely fun and the latter to be a melodic tour-de-force. I think they're almost perfect songs... ...almost, because I think they both have pretty lousy bridges. Although I stand by the fact that I don't hate Taylor and never have, I have definitely always grimaced whenever she's broken out her particular brand of hip-hop inspired vocal delivery, so the bridge to "Shake It Off" always leaves me freezing cold. As far as "Blank Space", I'm a huge proponent of a well-utilized direct lyrical approach, but the "boys only want love if it's torture" bit sounds so drastically out of place and underwritten compared to the rest of the song. That juxtaposition kind of sums of my feelings on her writing as a whole: I think she clearly has a lot of talent, and every now and then, she'll break out a lyric that really impresses me. Other times, though, I find her writing extremely clunky, and not even just in a "I don't think I relate to this" way. "Bad Blood" is the worst offender for me on this record, but it's certainly not the only culprit. Then again, that melody is pretty damn solid...see, this is why I can't commit to love or hatred! I don't think I'll ever reach for this album on a regular basis, but I also don't see how anyone could deny it of all merit. And for those of you who love it, I salute you. 2.5/5

Starts off strong and loses me a bit in the second half. Still figuring out my relationship to this band. 3.5/5

Unbelievable performance. Sam's voice is top-notch. I wish there were a few more true standout songs, but very little to complain about. 4.5/5

As a Tom Waits, Ween, and Zappa fan, this doesn’t seem too far outside the box to me. Still delightfully strange, of course. Way more interesting than a lot of other albums on this list. 3.5/5

My second favorite U2 album. Not quite perfection, but they’re approaching it. 4.5/5

I like the base of it, but it gets a bit too repetitive. 2.5/5

With all due respect to some of the lyrics' social aspects, this is just about the opposite of what I want rock music to sound like. 0.5/5

I don’t know if I love how side B is sequenced - “A Hazy Shade of Winter” and “At the Zoo” have always struck me as an odd 1-2 pair of album closers - but I just love most of these individual songs so damn much, and particularly love the flow of side A. 4.5/5

Excellent songwriting and atmosphere. Excited to spend more time with this one. 4.5/5

It's largely not to my liking, but there are a few elements that really catch my ear. Track 2 in particular - "Banstyle / Sappys Curry" - is pretty interesting. But my god, is it long and repetitive. It may even be closer to 1 star than 2, but I can't in good conscience give this the same score on this website as Limp Bizkit. 1.5/5

I was pleasantly surprised when I heard The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, but after hearing this one, Foxtrot, Trick of the Tail, and Seconds Out, I’m convinced Genesis is just not the band for me. There are select songs (especially on Lamb) I dig, and I certainly respect all the individual talent, but I just feel a massive disconnect with the overall style and execution. 2.5/5

I can’t lie to myself and pretend that the repetition doesn’t get to me at times. But I really dig a lot of the individual performances and Kuti sounds as impassioned as ever. 3.5/5

I hope one day I will love this as much as everyone else seems to. 3.5/5

“Common People” is great, and the rest is good. It gets the bump to 4 for this website. But I’m not sure what it is about this band that makes some people lose their minds. 3.5/5

Damn, this is fantastic. Excited to keep revisiting this one. 4/5

Much more interesting than some would lead you to suggest. Better than most of its imitators. 4/5

Despite not having the biggest range in the world, Lanegan is such an expressive singer, and he fits this band so well. This is such a musically adventurous album. Room for this one to keep growing on me. 4/5

I'm no expert on ambient music, but I know I dig this a decent amount. 3.5/5

Going with a decently solid 3.5 stars on this. For me, the three hits are far and away the standouts, especially the supremely cool "Do It Again". A pretty perfect recording, if you ask me. None of the other seven tracks come close to it, "Dirty Work", or "Reelin' in the Years" for me, though Skunk Baxter's work on "Kings" and "Change of the Guard" is particularly excellent. "Only a Fool Would Say That" and "Turn That Heartbeat Over Again" are the only clunkers in my book, and even then, neither are offensively bad by any means. Just not my preferred style. 3.5/5

Slightly confused as to why this one is so propped up, but I certainly can't pretend to be a hip-hop expert. As an outsider, this is extremely one-note and not half as interesting as quite a few rap albums also on this list. 2.5/5

I couldn’t be happier that this album is on here. It very much changed my life. White Blood Cells and Elephant made me a White Stripes fan, but this one kickstarted my Jack White obsession and opened the doors to looking at music in an entirely different way. I don’t care if other people view it as inferior to the rest of their catalog; I love every single second of it. 5+/5

This one gets a big ol’ “meh” from me. 3/5

I respect that everyone seems to love it, but I just really, really don’t get it. “Running Up That Hill” is great, but otherwise…meh. Just not my thing I guess. 2.5/5

Wanted to like it more than I did - I love the Singles Going Steady comp - but still very good. 3.5/5

Much respect to both of these individual artists. This bored the fuck out of me. 2/5

Yes yes yes yes yes. Total perfection. This performance of "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" is one of my absolute favorite pieces of music ever recorded. One of the more important albums of my lifetime. 5/5

I won't pretend that the title track or "Life in the Fast Lane" are my favorite songs ever, or even that I ever have the urge to put them on, but I do enjoy them well enough when they're playing. Combined with the overall inoffensiveness of most of the album, they're enough to not sink it below 3 stars. But I just...don't care. It's honestly funny to me that people have such strong opinions about this band, positively or negatively, in the first place. Perhaps this is my privilege talking as a child of the 90's who didn't need to deal with their onslaught of fame in the 70's. Anyway...it's fine. 3/5

It's always fascinating when you are thoroughly entertained by something, but equally can't stand anything about it. Respect. 0 stars, but a higher 0 stars than Limp Bizkit. 0/5

I don’t love it/it doesn’t mean as much to me as the debut, but I still absolutely love it. Jimi was the goddamn coolest. 5/5

I think the production is uniformly excellent; every sample and musical backdrop is expertly crafted, leading to hooks on hooks on hooks. I think Akil, Soup, Charli 2na, and Marc 7 all have pretty solid flows/timbres, and the guest appearances all feel pretty natural and seamless as well. Really, really good shit. 4/5

Way different and way cooler than I was expecting! Interesting and effective blend of organic Americana instruments/sounds with more standard British new wave and synthpop. I underestimated these guys! Excited to return to this and see if I go higher with my score. 3.5/5

Listen #1: My first Spirit album and I’m definitely impressed. Strong vocals and nice musical diversity. Will definitely be returning to this one. Listen #2: On second listen, it didn't hit quite as hard; I'm not sure if I'm totally sold on the songwriting overall, and it struck me as just a bit style over substance, although I really like the general sounds and styles. I'm still landing at a pretty high 3.5 stars, mainly on the strength of Jay Ferguson's vocals and solid production. Perhaps I'll come even more back around on it on my next listen. 3.5/5

Yeah yeah yeah, it's important and influential and everything, I have no problem giving it all the roses it deserves on an objective level. Subjectively, I don't want ever want to listen to music that sounds like this, no matter how well written or produced it is (or at least, how well written and produced people SAY it is). 2/5

Maybe one day I will appreciate this band more. Today is not that day. 3/5

"Frankie Teardrop" just blew my goddamn mind. Holy shit, I can't wait to dig deeper into this. 4/5

I prefer a bit more room for exploration in jazz, and additionally, I generally prefer a more stripped back group. The stylings of and arrangements for the nonet lend this to sound like it still has one foot in the big band era of old, which I like fine enough but is rarely something I want to listen to in larger doses. That said, it’s awesome to pick out the aspects of it that are clearly pushing the envelope for the time. I love the unexpected dissonance in the harmonization of “Moon Dreams” in particular, and although Miles doesn’t sound totally like himself as a player yet (still great, of course), “Deception” sounds distinctly like a Miles composition. “Move”, “Godchild”, and “Boplicity” are additional highlights for me. I think Konitz, Mulligan, and Roach shine in particular, and I loved discovering that both J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding were featured in separate sessions years before recording their duet albums. A light 4 stars for me. 4/5

Very, very close to 4.5 stars. Doesn't finish as strongly as it starts, but goddamn, it's still pretty awesome all the way through. 4/5

Wilco doesn't achieve perfection until their next album, in my opinion (and maintain that perfection for three subsequent albums as well). Being There still has a bit of filler and the feel of a band that hasn't exactly found their identity. That said, it's a very, very high 4 stars and still an excellent album. "Misunderstood", "Sunken Treasure", "I Got You (At the End of the Century)"...I mean, come on. 4/5

Absolutely stellar power pop. 4.5/5

Ray could sing the phonebook and it would sound amazing. But I didn't love the bombastic horns on side A or the schmaltzy arrangements of side B. The songs have very little room to breathe. They're good songs, and again, Ray does his job, but I won't return to this much. 3.5/5

Why the fuck is this on the list? Seriously. Does Dimery truly not understand the gravity of the phrase "must hear before you die"? Jesus Christ. 1.5/5

Not as good as the two that came before it, but still excellent. 4/5

Goddamn. I knew I would enjoy this; I've enjoyed pretty much everything I've ever heard from Dolly's classic period. But I didn't expect to love this album as much as I did. Just top-notch all the way around. Incredible songwriting, arrangements, performances, etc. It's so much more than just the fantastic title track. Probably the most unexpected 5 stars I've awarded so far, but very happy to. 5/5

Surprisingly strong, given how burnt out I am on the hits (and how indifferent I've always felt toward most of them). Listening to them as part of the package they were intended to be heard on really made it click for me. 4/5

Fun and melodic enough in places, but not something I really love and certainly not something I'll ever revisit. 2.5/5

Okay, maybe there's room for me to dig this record yet. This most recent listen fared much better than my first couple. I still struggle with the vocals, and it's definitely not my favorite overall style, but a lot of the melodies revealed themselves more to me this time around. I'll keep at it... 3/5

Thoughts after disc 1: Holy fuck, this is so goddamn good. 318 days in and I *finally* get my first Nick Cave album. I've never listened to a full one and I'm so happy this is my first. Absolutely fantastic in every way. I hope the second disc keeps it up... Thoughts after disc 2: Not as good as disc 1 on first listen, but still consistently excellent. Light 4.5 for now, but potential room to grow. 4.5/5

The renaissance record of all renaissance records. What Time Out of Mind did for Bob’s career can never be overstated. Fortunately, it still holds up 25 years later. As he did for Oh Mercy, Daniel Lanois provides a swampy magic with his production, utilizing the exact right amount of reverb and textural coating to sonically enhance the proceedings. By all accounts, he and Dylan had an even harder time balancing their differences while making this album, but the results speak for themselves. For the most part, Time Out of Mind lives in two equally excellent worlds. In the first, we find Bob embracing the blues to a degree he hadn’t since the mid-60’s, and he embodies the spirit of the genre as well, if not better, than he ever has. “Can’t Wait”, “‘Til I Fell in Love with You”, and “Million Miles” are effortlessly groovy and engrossing, never straying far enough to call their “bluesiness” into question but never settling for complete cliché either. The opening “Love Sick” is on another level, a masterclass in dynamic intensity, and “Cold Irons Bound” offers up one of the deadliest combinations of virtuosity and sheer coolness in Bob’s entire catalog. These tracks in particular benefit from Lanois’ production and the first-rate studio musicians that contributed to these sessions (Brian Blade, Jim Keltner, Bucky Baxter, Duke Robillard, and Jim Dickinson among them). In the second world, we find Bob writing some of the most crushing meditations on life and love that he’s ever committed to tape. Whereas he approaches the bluesier numbers with a formidable growl, he deftly handles the melodies on these tracks while continuing to establish the voice he began discovering on Oh Mercy. “Not Dark Yet” and “Tryin’ to Get to Heaven” are hair-raising; even if you didn’t know about the near-death experience Bob had suffered in the year leading up to this record or the myriad of other hardships he’d faced in his life, you’d have to be heartless to not recognize and appreciate the emotional depth of these songs. “Standing in the Doorway” is proof that the man can still write as perfect a heartbreaker as anyone; on the flip-side, he proves he can still casually write a timeless love song with “Make You Feel My Love”, already a modern-day standard. The brilliance is almost unfathomable. I’m also a fan of the four tracks that didn’t make the cut: “Mississippi”, “Red River Shore”, “Dreamin’ of You”, and “Marchin’ to the City”, all available on the tremendous Tell Tale Signs Bootleg Series. Unlike Shot of Love and Infidels, however, I don’t feel as if this album suffers for not featuring these songs. The latter two are atmospherically coherent with the tracks that made the album, but given that they lyrically evolved into “Standing in the Doorway” and “‘Til I Fell in Love with You”, I’m perfectly fine valuing them as strong outtakes. The former two are both beautifully evocative, and I love them individually out of context, but I simply have a hard time imagining how they would have fit on the record. They certainly wouldn’t have made it a worse project, but overall, I’m very satisfied with the final track list. Ultimately, I think Time Out of Mind deserves all of the praise and accolades it’s received in the last two-and-a-half decades, and will rightfully be heralded as a crowning moment in Bob’s discography for the rest of time. Least favorite track: “Highlands”. It’s definitely cool; I tend to zero in on a different series of verses every time I listen to it, though I appreciate the whole journey. I also never skip it when I listen to the album as a whole, despite its length and being the final song. But it doesn’t interest me as much as many of his other epics, and I find a bit more in every other song to enjoy. Favorite track: “Cold Irons Bound”. Lyrically, my answer might be “Standing in the Doorway” or “Not Dark Yet”. This one’s no lyrical slouch, though, and as a full listening experience, it’s a top 10 Dylan track for me. A tidal wave of guitars and organs crash around David Kemper’s irresistible drum beat and an all-time bass performance from Tony Garnier; only “Most of the Time” rivals this track for coolest bass line in Dylan’s catalog. Just an absolutely phenomenal recording, one that will forever be a favorite of mine. 5/5

It's interesting to me that this is apparently generally considered their best; I enjoyed Stand! a decent bit more. I still dug this, however, and perhaps it will reveal itself to me more on subsequent listens. 3.5/5 EDIT: On second listen, yeah, I “get” it much more. Still inferior to Stand!, but pretty damn great. 4.5/5

Second half slightly stronger than the first, but solid all the way around. You can tell how passionate and genuine they are. 4/5

A bit by-the-numbers for this genre and era. Good, but not as good as they'd go on to make. 3.5/5

I like it and respect its importance, but once again, I find myself wishing I liked it more than I did. 3.5/5

I’m not ALL the way there with it yet…but I think it could happen one day. 4.5/5

Don't always love her voice, and some of the non-singles don't stack up as well against the big hits, but there's some undeniably excellent stuff here. 3.5/5

There's some Steely Dan I dig, but none of it sounds like this. How something can be so competently and articulately arranged and still so insipid is beyond me. I just don't get this type of music, and Fagen is one of the least convincing vocalists I've ever heard. 2/5

There are some interesting tracks/elements here, and I can genuinely see where the appeal and influence lies. That said, most of it sounds like a band that took all the wrong lessons from "Revolution 9". I'll still take it over Linkin Park, though. 1/5

Nothing mind-blowing, but some killer lyrics/production and pretty consistently solid. 3.5/5

Not even offensively experimental, just boring. 1.5/5

Sorry, y'all. I respect the hell out of him, but it just ain't my bag. 2/5

To this day, Pet Sounds is still, for me, the quintessential album where I’m waiting to hear what everyone else is hearing. When I listen to the classic albums by The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, and so many others, I *hear* these albums that are so highly praised. Even albums that I don’t particularly enjoy from a stylistic standpoint like Thriller, I totally get them. It’s not that I don’t hear some majorly impressive things on Pet Sounds; I decidedly like about half the songs on it. But even after reading all the dissertations on it, I’m just not there with it. I’m not enamored with so many of the precious baroque influences that are scattered across it; I’m not saying that the style itself is bad or even that they do it badly, it has just never been something that resonates with me. Fuck, as much as I love “Penny Lane”, it’s never been anywhere near a top 50 Beatles song for me, whereas everyone else seems to have it as a top 10 song, and I think part of it is that aspect. And I apologize if anyone loves any of these songs, but I just get absolutely nothing out of “You Still Believe in Me”, “That’s Not Me”, “Don’t Talk”, or honestly, as much as I know I’m *supposed* to love it, “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times”. I’ve heard all of these songs god knows how many times and I’ve paid close attention to the melodies and arrangements and lyrics and at best, my response is, “Okay, sure.” These songs, and this band as a whole, do not move me in the same way that so many of their contemporaries do, no matter how many times I’m subjected to the argument that this is Brian’s grand masterstroke of describing his loneliness and isolation through the voice of his inner child. I know I’m the “wrong” one, but I’m also not trying to pull any edgy contrarianism bullshit. I not only respect this album’s influence, I respect everyone who holds it in such high regard. It’s just not “my” album, if that makes sense. 3.5/5

Once again, true perfection from the boys. Only my fourth favorite album of theirs, and still likely a top 25-30 all-time album for me. 5+/5

As always with The Smiths, Johnny Marr is the star of the show for me on this record. Some really amazing, versatile guitar work here. "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish", "Death of a Disco Dancer", and "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" are probably the main highlights. I honestly liked this a little less than last time, though. I want to like them more; I remember liking The Queen Is Dead fine enough when I was growing up, I was pleasantly surprised by Vauxhall and I when I got it early on in my personal project, and I thoroughly enjoyed the last two Ducks Ltd. records, which I realize are essentially musical love letters to The Smiths. But in recent years, whenever I've sat down with them, they've consistently fallen into that cursed category of "this is totally fine, I just don't care much about it." I'll have more chances to fall in love with them throughout this project, though, so fingers crossed. 3.5/5

I was expecting/hoping to dig this a bit more on relisten, but I’m still not fully into this one. I dig the overall sound and ~vibe~ (I hate using that word), but the melodies/songs themselves leave a bit to be desired. I definitely don’t think this is on the same level as a lot of their 1993 “alternative rock” contemporaries, but I’ll remain optimistic that it will grow on me yet. 3.5/5

Goes on a bit long and is a bit too "straight" for my tastes, but there are some truly transcendent moments. I could stand to come back to this. 3.5/5

My second favorite Joni. Absolutely wonderful. 4.5/5

Not bad, but given how much I generally like Tribe, I found the overall sound of this disappointing. 3/5

It's neck-and-neck with Sticky Fingers, but I *think* this is my favorite Stones record, and their first perfect album. They finally embody the blues music they grew up worshipping and turn it into something genuine and original. Additionally, they're not chasing the trends of their counterparts AS much. Absolutely love it. 5/5

I'm somewhat of a Stevie agnostic; I recognize his immense talent and influence, and I do love some of his music, but he'll likely never be an all-time favorite. This record in particular is just a bit too smooth for my tastes. 3/5

4 stars, and a relatively high one at that. There’s a deep sense of yearning that I feel throughout this record, even in its more upbeat moments. I think Mavers has a cool, unique voice, and it feels earnest without being overblown in any way. 4/5

Dimery should be fucking arrested for including this. 1/5

Wow, I liked this much better than anticipated! Straight-up funk only usually goes so far with me, and I get nervous whenever I see a "funk" album that's been released later and later into the 70's (don't try to dress up the word "disco," we all know what it is). But this shit is *real* funk, only ever as repetitive as it needs to be with just the right amount of variation. And, of course, top notch playing. Great shit. 4/5

First listen: Interested to see how I feel about this on repeated listenings. The first couple songs didn't grab me much, and there are a few too many songs that drifted off into anonymous indie nothingness, but the highlights are *damn* good. Second listen: As suspected, this album grew on me. I initially scored it a high 3.5, raising it to a decently solid 4, and it could continue to rise in my estimations. I dig the sound overall, and I think Cox has the perfect voice for this genre. "Revival" and "He Would Have Laughed" are my personal standouts at the moment, but I genuinely like every track to one degree or another. 4/5

Pretty good overall, though I think most everything on here would sound a thousand times better if My Morning Jacket was doing it. 3.5/5

I can't yet get to the full 4 stars on it because I found elements of the second and third songs to be a bit middling. However, it's undeniably VERY strong, and I think I can definitely raise this rating one day. 3.5/5

I had this album fairly high in my Bowie ranking when I initially did the dive of his discography. After relistening a few times since then, I've softened on it a bit. Blue-eyed soul Bowie is not my favorite Bowie, and although I like "Win", "Fascination", and "Somebody Up There Likes Me", I find I need to be in the right mood for them. Additionally, his atrociously oversung "Across the Universe" cover is good for at least a half-star reduction. However, the two best-known tracks deserve all the praise they receive. The title track is an absolutely perfect album opener, and "Fame" continues to rise up my list of favorite all-time songs. Lennon's backing vocals are a trip, Alomar and Slick are totally locked in with each other, and Dennis Davis lays down - for my money - the deepest, dirtiest pocket ever recorded. All in all, it's somewhat of a mixed bag, but I also don't dislike anything other than the Beatles cover, so I'll settle on a high 3.5. 3.5/5

Weird record. Some really cool stuff, some really bad stuff. Will need to come back to it at some point. 3/5

I'm a big jazz boy, but bossa nova isn't fully my bag. It's good, and I suppose I understand why everyone loves it, but give me literally everything by 50's/60's Miles, Coltrane, Mingus, Hank Mobley, Art Blakey, Wayne Shorter, Dexter Gordon, Lee Morgan, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Red Garland, etc. before this. 3.5/5

Like Boston's self-titled debut, pretty tough to deny. 4/5

Probably my least favorite of the three Cave albums I've heard so far, but still pretty damn good. "Into My Arms" is undeniable. A light 4 stars for now. 4/5

The first two songs have held up surprisingly well. After that....eh. 2/5

Extremely cool. This one may have room to grow. 4/5

Not sure what I’m missing with this one. It feels and sounds extremely insignificant. I don’t dislike much, if anything, about it, but there’s not a single element of this band or record that I haven’t heard done better (and more memorably) a thousand times before. 3/5

Very frustrating. Some really good/cool stuff, but way too overlong and anonymous at parts. 2.5/5

I can tell this one will grow on me with repeated listenings. Already great. 4/5

Undoubtedly their best. Fuck the haters. 5/5

About as good as you can expect from an early rock and roll album. The singles are the obvious highlights, but none of the album cuts are bad by any means. 4/5

Huge, huge surprise here. I am not generally a synthpop fan whatsoever, and I've historically not thought much of this "Tainted Love" cover, but something kind of comes together for me on this one. Really interesting arrangements and songs, and it's not *too* over the top or synthy. Much more intriguing than a lot of other stuff from this time period. Interested to see if this grows on me with repeated listenings! 3.5/5

I refuse to believe that Sparks existed until that documentary came out, and then everyone *pretended* like they’ve just known about them for 40 years. I worked in a record store back home for 7 years with multiple other music snobs. Been surrounded by white hipster douchebag bandmates for 15 years. Nary a *word* of this band’s existence. Then, this documentary comes out, and all of sudden, every fucking jackass I know with a mustache is all, “Oh yeah, Sparks! OBVIOUSLY!” And before I know it, these paid fucking actors have created this elaborate hoax of a *50-year career* that everyone can point to and I DON’T BUY IT. 2.5/5

Probably a top 25 all-time album for me, and likely only my third favorite Wilco record. Just outstanding in every sense of the word. 5+/5

Liked this a lot more than I anticipated. A few really prescient lyrics and moments, and a lot of solid music. Not my favorite style of music, especially when it dives further into R&B, but I could stand to go back to this. 3.5/5

I once again repeat my friend Joe's mantra: "Good, but I don't care." 3.5/5

Wish I'd gotten hip to them a while ago. I think this may continue to grow on me. 4/5

I’m still not sick of the big 4 singles from this record, and in fact, the first 7 songs are pretty fantastic in my book. It unfortunately loses a bit of steam after that, though none of it is bad. Rounding up for the website, but could be a true 4 one day. 3.5/5

What the actual hell am I supposed to say about Blonde on Blonde, my fourth favorite Bob Dylan album? I guess, to some degree, I can acknowledge that this record is understandably a lot of people’s favorite or second favorite Dylan record. Objectively, there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s a sonic and lyrical masterpiece, a sprawling-yet-perfectly-sequenced journey through the mind of the most brilliant songwriter of all-time, the climax of a three-album run that helped to redefine what popular music could be. Its historical significance, both in the context of Dylan’s catalog and otherwise, is well-documented and well-deserved, and not only do all 14 tracks hold up individually, the album as a whole still stands as a magnificent artistic statement. It’s just that subjectively… …well, shit, there’s nothing wrong with it subjectively for me, either. I love every single one of these songs; there’s a solid chance that each track would rank among my top 150 Dylan songs, and my “least favorite” track on this album would probably be ranked higher than my least favorite of any other album. I love the sound, the flow, the vibe of this record…it’s all amazing. Really, the only reason Blonde on Blonde sits behind three other records in my rankings is because, regardless how much I admire it as a whole and cherish every song, it has to compete with three other titanic releases that feature so many of my favorite tracks. Not that I don’t have a bevy of favorites on this record; it may include my favorite song, by anyone, of all-time. Many other tracks land amongst my top 50 Dylan songs, including the extremely catchy and highly musical “Absolutely Sweet Marie”. I’ve also always been in love with “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again”, featuring remarkable performances from the ever-reliable Charlie McCoy (bass) and Kenny Buttrey (drums) as well as so many classic lyrics (the Texas medicine/railroad gin verse in particular has always been a favorite). “4th Time Around”, the potential Lennon sendup, is a great, lilting waltz and intriguing story, and “Just Like a Woman” still stands as one of the finest melodies in Dylan’s discography. As for the lyrics, I can understand the allegations of misogyny, but I’ve always heard them coming from a defensive, disheartened character using insults to mask his pain. With its top-notch vocal delivery and flawless soundscape, it’s easily a top 20 Dylan tune for me. The juxtaposition between the wonderfully uncomplicated chorus of “I Want You” and the lonesome organ grinders, drunken politicians, and dancing children in Chinese suits that appear in the verses has always fascinated me; when I think of all the times I’ve rambled on and on trying to get my point across to the people I love, only to arrive at the simple point I’ve wanted to say the whole time, this song especially feels resonant. Equally fantastic are “One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)” and “Most Likely You Go Your Way and I’ll Go Mine”, two musically rich tracks that take very different approaches to the ending of a relationship. The most compelling love song of all, though, is the lyrical tour-de-force of “Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands”. Bob’s ode to Sara is simply stunning, complete with a passionate vocal, mystical organ, and one of the finest harmonica performances on the record. It’s never felt a second too long to me. Musically, Bob gets as close to the classic Chess sound as he ever did in the 60’s on “Pledging My Time”, a slow, lumbering blues that features some of Robbie Robertson’s best recorded guitar work. The trio of additional blues songs that follow - the swanky “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat”, beautifully subdued “Temporary Like Achilles”, and raving “Obviously 5 Believers” - are all excellent as well. Truly, every single one of these songs is excellent. I’ve name-checked most of them and have said little to do any of them justice; I’m not nearly a good enough writer to illustrate the lyrical and musical brilliance of these songs. In some ways, I hold this album in similar regards to Sgt. Pepper and Exile on Main St.: three incredible, important records that can all be argued as their respective acts’ crowning achievements, yet never my personal favorite. That’s of course not to say that any of these albums are overrated. Especially not this completely stacked, genius album. It’s not overrated at all. It’s five out of five stars. It’s a top 25 album of all-time for me, my fourth favorite record by my favorite singular artist. It’s Blonde on fucking Blonde. Least favorite track: “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35”. I’ll never skip it or not sing along. I know some object to it being the opening track, but it’s always set the pace perfectly for me. I love it. And it’s my “least” favorite on the album. Favorite track: “Visions of Johanna”. I’ve already struggled to write a capable album summary, and now I’ve set myself up to say something about a song that always leaves me speechless. The blend of Bob’s acoustic guitar and harmonica, Joe South’s dancing bass line, Kenny Buttrey’s steady groove, and Al Kooper’s otherworldly organ is the thin, wild Mercury sound. “Ain’t it just like the night to play tricks when you’re trying to be so quiet?” is one of the most effective opening lyrics of all-time, and it only gets better from there. “The ghost of ‘lectricity howls in the bones of her face” and “The harmonicas play the skeleton keys and the rain” never fail to blow my mind. My inability to accurately describe my love for this song mirrors Bob’s inability to reach Johanna. It’s my favorite Dylan song, and quite possibly my favorite song of all-time. 5/5

Oh good, another sophistipop album. 2.5/5

I have no use for this early glam metal bullshit. I respect the influence, truly - I only say "bullshit" to describe how I feel listening to it. 2/5

Not huge into free jazz, and I don’t *love* this, but it’s pretty damn interesting. Could grow on me one day. 2.5/5

One one hand, I don't think it's his best as so many often claim it is - give me Harvest or Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere any day. On the other hand, it IS a 5-star album, so... 5/5

Solid and dependable. They’ll never be an all time favorite, but I can’t deny how good it is. 4/5

“Solsbury Hill” rules, and there are some other moments I dig, but overall, there’s still a lot of that Genesis-era influence that I’m not into. 3/5

For my money, the band on this record has a lot more fire than most “white guy blues” records. They seem to be inhibiting the spirit of the records that influenced them, not just trying to copy the sounds necessarily. Clapton is obviously incredible on it, but Mayall is a terrific vocalist and damn good harp player, too. I think this record and East-West by The Butterfield Blues Band are the best of their ilk, personally. 4.5/5

Up until 2012, Jack covered so many bases in The White Stripes, Raconteurs, and Dead Weather, and I hear a bit of all of them on Blunderbuss. As a result, this album is the sound of him trying to figure out the identity of his solo career in real time. When it hits, it hits. “On and On and On” is an unbelievably atmospheric, Beatlesque number, and still one of my favorites in his solo catalog; “Love Interruption” is a cool, smoky duet with Ruby Amanfu; “Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy” sounds like a nice country tune on the surface, but the lyrics reflecting on the Stripes’ breakup give it a venomous “How Do You Sleep?” quality; “Missing Pieces” is a solid, dynamic opener rife with excellent electric piano and guitar performances. Honestly, I’m not sure I dislike any of these songs - as a result, it’s one of the higher 3.5-star albums in my book - but overall, his search for how to move forward musically results in a diversity that is less of a White Album/Exile on Main St. (we’re so good and confident at everything we do that we’ll go in any direction we please and it will succeed) and more of a Greetings from Asbury Park (I don’t quite know what to do with all of these talents yet). I’ll get more into my thoughts on the arc of his solo career when the thread for his elimination opens up, but ultimately, I think this was a necessary album for him to make, if not a necessary album to be included in this book. 3.5/5

Close enough to perfect to get the 5 star bump. 4.5/5

I feel like I shouldn't dig this as much as I do. Excited to keep returning to and gaining an appreciation for this. 4/5

The highlights are incredible, including “Have Love Will Travel” and “The Witch”, but a lot of the covers/album tracks drag it down a bit. Still a fun listen. 3.5/5

I still think Fagen sucks, and I don't get the "Peg" or "Deacon Blues" love, but despite all of that, there's some obviously good stuff here. I would die to hear the title track without any vocals. 3.5/5

Inoffensive but unsubstantial 60’s pop. 3/5

I struggled a bit with Dub Housing when I listened to it a while ago, but this one was a lot more immediately accessible. I feel like I could like this even more on repeat listenings, and I’m interested to see how the follow-up hits me when we revisit it. “Non-Alignment Pact” is such a banger. 3.5/5

I've long been a "hater" of James Taylor. Most of his work from the mid-70's onward is borderline unlistenable to me. His 1985 album in particular, That's Why I'm Here, is one of the worst albums I've ever had the misfortune of being subjected to against my will. The guy is just so fucking *vanilla*. And that's not untrue on this album, either. I mean, does anyone believe him when he says he's a "churning urn of burning funk"? However, the guy is clearly capable of writing some damn good songs, and in this particular stripped-down folky environment, he unfortunately concocts a highly listenable and enjoyable kryptonite to my Haterade. Touché, Mr. Taylor, and a tip of the cap to you. 4/5

I have a ceiling for hip-hop; it is very much a “songs” genre for me, rather than an album genre. I find that full albums by the same artist tend to wear on me at a certain point, even the absolute best ones. Although this one is no exception, I don’t think there’s a hip-hop album I respect more than this one. Kendrick is the absolute fucking best; no one writes or performs like this guy. Absolutely no one is on his level, present day at least. A 4-star album on my enjoyment scale, but a 5-star piece of art. 4/5

Not my favorite hardcore punk band/project, but still undeniably great. 3.5/5

Much better than I anticipated! Love the lo-fi interpretation of synthpop here. 4/5

I thought Vol. 4 was my favorite, but it's probably this one. Banger after banger. Still not my favorite band overall, but can't really argue with this one. 4/5

Not the worst 80's record. Certainly not the best either. 2.5/5

Solid, dependable 90's alternative, though not something I'll go back to often. 3.5/5

If you asked me when I was a teenager, I probably would have said I was an RHCP fan. Hell, I owned one of their shirts! That said, I never felt super passionate about them, despite wearing the fuck out of Californication, and have not listened to them with any regularity for at least 15 years now. There seem to be two very strong camps concerning the Chili Peppers ("this is one of the worst bands to ever exist" and "y'all are dramatic af, their best stuff is awesome"), and I can honestly fall into either one of them depending on the song. As it pertains to Blood Sugar Sex Magik, I think "Breaking the Girl", "I Could Have Lied", and "Under the Bridge" are pretty fucking great. Everything else? Well...not all of it falls into "worst band ever" territory. I can't say I love "Give It Away" ("Bedrock Anthem" is lightyears better), but I don't hate it, and there are at least a few other tracks I feel relatively indifferent about. But holy shit, any interest that I might have once had in their stilted "funk" numbers has almost completely dissipated, as has my patience for Kiedis' rapping. I acknowledge and respect his distinctness, and I do think it works in moderation, but on this album in particular, he wears out his welcome with me pretty quickly. The terrible lyricism doesn't help; I love and appreciate a good nonsensical lyric when it's done right, and hell, I think there are songs on both this album and Californication where he gets away with it pretty well. For the lack of a better word, though, quite a few of these songs just sound stupid, and not in a very fun or interesting way for me. 2.5/5

Not my favorite band or genre, but they pull off some undeniably impressive shit here. 3.5/5

God, this guy was the coolest. 4/5

A couple of tracks hold it back from being a true all-timer, but I still do love it so. Lou sounds confident, his writing is excellent, and Bowie and Ronson put their best production efforts forward. Great shit. 4.5/5

Why was it so hard for bands to release good music in this decade? 2.5/5

Not all of it works, but most of it does. And "Three Great Alabama Icons" should be considered mandatory listening for every American. 4/5

Hynde is occasionally a bit much of a Patti Smith knockoff for me, but at her best, she's damn good, and the band RIPS. Excellent songwriting and arrangement. 4/5

Elton is a songs guy for me, but this is definitely one of his finest records. "Indian Sunset" my favorite album cut. 4/5

The most convincingly bluesy they ever got. Not quite perfect, but it gets the bump for the site. 4.5/5

Inessential but dependable neo-traditional country. 3.5/5

I'm sick and tired of people pretending like these guys and their contemporaries weren't just the Nickelbacks and Creeds of the 80's. Absolutely nothing redeeming about this bullshit. 0.5/5

Big band isn't my preferred style of jazz, but this feels pretty far removed from 30's and 40's big band. Very cool, progressive compositions. 4/5

Like a few other records from this time period, I don’t dislike the overall style, but it’s still too one-note for me. 3/5

I have heard all the arguments against this album. The production is too messy; the Apple Jam record is unnecessary; even without the Apple Jam, it’s too long. Anyone who thinks this way is certainly entitled to their opinion; not only do I respectfully disagree with these sentiments, but the jaw-dropping strength, beauty, and magnitude of All Things Must Pass are too much for me to consider ranking anything else as my favorite solo Beatles album. To those points, I won’t pretend that I’m always in the mood for the Apple Jam, but I don’t believe its presence in any way detracts from the greatness of the album. On top of that, I always enjoy it when I do listen to it, especially “Out Of The Blue,” which has never felt 11 minutes and 13 seconds long to me. Jim Gordon (drums), Gary Wright (organ), and Bobby Whitlock (piano) all groove spectacularly on this track, and George and Klaus Voormann provide some extremely interesting guitar work. The musicians subtly shift gears multiple times and truly interact with each other, unlike other jams that meander aimlessly and exist only to showcase individual players’ solos. Taking the Apple Jam out of the equation, yes, it’s a long record. But because every song is so good, it never feels tiring to me. The weakest song may be “I Dig Love,” and I think it’s a blast. The main riff, courtesy of George (slide guitar), Whitlock (piano), and Wright (electric piano), is super playful, and the drum fills provided by old friend Ringo Starr add some additional whimsicality. It also features some great organ work from Billy Preston and a nice, understated solo from George. And yes, Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound production is massive; George himself later said he felt there was “too much reverb.” For my money, I think this album’s defining sound is ultimately a huge asset. George’s slide work on “My Sweet Lord” is obviously sublime, but it is aided greatly by the layered acoustic guitars provided by himself, Eric Clapton, and Badfinger’s Pete Ham, Tom Evans, and Joey Molland. “What Is Life” is notable for George’s catchy riff and outstanding vocal, but the horns courtesy of Jim Price (trumpet) and Bobby Keys (saxophone), as well as John Barham’s magnificent string arrangement, provide it with a spectacular energy. Price and Keys also lend some pep to “Awaiting On You All,” which boasts another fantastic riff, awesome drums and percussion from Gordon and Mike Gibbins, and exuberant backing vocals from Harrison, Clapton, and Whitlock. The broad arrangements mirror not only how important this album was, but how great the content is; I can’t imagine being bothered by how enormous these songs sound because they’re all so enormously good. Even the one song that George didn’t write is a highlight. Bob Dylan is my second favorite artist of all time, and I rarely agree with the opinion often espoused by his detractors that his songs are better sung by other people. Bob’s rendition of “If Not For You” on his New Morning record is lovely, but George’s version here is so clearly the definitive one. Every acoustic and slide guitar is perfectly placed, the lead vocal is superb, and the keyboard work (Wright on piano, Preston on organ) fills out the soundscape beautifully. Dylan’s influence is felt elsewhere on All Things Must Pass, of course. George spent some quality time in upstate New York with him and the Band in late 1968; it was during this time that the two co-wrote the stellar “I’d Have You Anytime.” Dylan was intrigued by Harrison’s grasp on unique chord progressions and time signature changes, both of which are incorporated into this song. Knowing that perhaps the greatest lyricist of all time was suffering from writer’s block, George’s pleas to “let me into your heart” are a touching offering to his friend. Bob’s lyrical response is even more heartwarming: “All I have is yours, all you see is mine/And I’m glad to hold you in my arms/I’d have you anytime.” It’s a brilliant album opener, especially because Clapton’s guitar intro is particularly welcoming. The celestial “Behind That Locked Door” finds George once again encouraging Bob to share his talents with the world. It’s another perfect sonic backdrop; Pete Drake’s pedal steel performance is out of this world good, Wright contributes more solid piano, and Preston’s organ playing, especially when he joins in on the main figure, is marvelous. As he does for most of the album’s tracks, George stacks his vocal harmonies to wonderful effect on this song as well. And “Apple Scruffs” may not be about Dylan, but its acoustic guitar and harmonica-driven nature is certainly reminiscent of him. Even if you love the sound of this record as a whole like I do, this stripped-down number is certainly a welcome addition. As an ode to the hardcore Beatles fanatics of the late 60’s, it is also nice to hear something positive related to George’s former band. Which brings us, of course, to the most fascinating aspect of the record. In the aftermath of the Beatles’ breakup, All Things Must Pass not only revealed to the world how much amazing material George had in his back pocket, but expressed how stifled he felt by the group in their final years of existence. “Wah-Wah,” named after a slang term for a headache, paints John Lennon and Paul McCartney to be just that: “Now I don’t need no wah-wah’s/And I know how sweet life can be/If I keep myself free of wah-wah.” George delivers these lyrics with one of his most impassioned vocals ever, and his guitar work is even better. His opening riff boasts a perfect tone, and is matched by an equally impressive performance from Clapton and his apt use of the wah pedal. The two trade off searing solos, where George also gets an opportunity to show off his slide prowess. It’s a miraculous cacophony of sound, with Price (trumpet), Keys (sax), Preston (electric piano), and, somewhat ironically, Starr (drums) contributing notable parts to the soundscape. “Run Of The Mill” is slightly more stripped down; clearly influenced by his time spent with the Band, it features some of George’s best acoustic work on the record. Wright shines once more on piano, Carl Radle provides a great bass line, and Price and Keys’ horn work is delightfully melodic. Lyrically, however, it is just as biting. Written following the Get Back sessions, when John and Paul more than ever were not appearing to take his songs seriously, he sings, “Tomorrow when you rise, another day for you to realize me/Or send me down again.” They eventually gained more respect for George for standing his ground during these sessions, and subsequently recognized that “Something” and “Here Comes The Sun” were incredible compositions and deserved inclusion on Abbey Road. Still, when you hear the songs on this record that were ultimately passed over by the Beatles, it makes you wonder: how did they not realize his growing genius? “Let It Down” features an enticing chord progression to match its salacious lyrics. It also features the most magnificently heavy soundscape of George’s career. He and Clapton are both unforgiving with their guitar playing, Wright contributes some fiery organ work, and Price and Keys lock in perfectly with the relentlessly pounding rhythm section of Radle and Gordon. The track is further aided by Gary Brooker’s excellent piano and Barham’s perfect string arrangement. While that song was given up on after a few disinterested run-throughs by the Beatles, the band gave a bit more consideration to what became the title track of this record; Lennon suggested the lyric “A *mind* can blow those clouds away,” rather than *wind*. But yet again, it was somehow not deemed a priority. Their loss was this album’s gain in so many ways; “All Things Must Pass” ended up as an appropriate title track in the wake of the band’s split, and George seized the opportunity to ensure it received the proper recording. His acoustic guitar figure glides by heavenly against Preston’s piano and Barham’s strings. Typical of the rest of the record, the horns courtesy of Price and Keys are majestic, and Drake’s pedal steel soars brilliantly. George’s lyrics and vocals hit like a ton of bricks, especially when Clapton and Whitlock join him to deliver the stately chorus. It is a perfect composition and recording, and there’s a strong argument to be made for it being the greatest solo song by any Beatle. If it’s not the greatest, it’s because that title belongs to “Isn’t It A Pity.” Written in 1966, Harrison had sat on this song longer than any other, and correspondingly had it rejected multiple times by the Beatles. Perhaps, then, he was trying to make a point by including two versions of it on this record. The second version is nice, particularly due to the fine performances by Clapton (guitar), Whitlock (organ), and Tony Ashton (piano), but the first version is immaculate. Ashton’s piano work is also great here, and although his contributions to the album are top-notch all around, Barham’s orchestral arrangement on this track is his most extraordinary. In the song’s first instrumental interlude, the strings supply a breathtaking ascending melody before the horns immediately answer with a terrific descending line of their own. It is during this section that George’s slide work begins to shine as well, as it continues to through the remainder of the song. His vocals, including his harmonies, are as strong as ever, and there is no song in his entire catalog that better illustrates his dynamic ability to write gorgeous melodies over unconventional chord progressions. Some may complain that the outro goes on too long, but it could last for years and I wouldn’t mind. The swirling guitars, strings, and layered vocals are absolutely stirring and divine; it is a splendid ending to a truly remarkable piece of music. The wealth of flawless songs and recordings on All Things Must Pass is almost incomprehensible. Of the 14 tracks I have mentioned already in this review, only “Apple Scruffs,” “I Dig Love,” and “Out Of The Blue,” as much as I enjoy them, would not qualify as my favorite song on any given day. The other 11 are so ungodly good that they may qualify for that title. And on many days, it might be “Beware Of Darkness” taking the crown. Between its unfairly good chord progression, beautiful lyrics, and superb guitar work from Harrison and Clapton, it is undoubtedly one of his greatest songs. “Art Of Dying” might even be a dark horse candidate (no pun intended). This is one of the tracks featuring the band that would soon become Derek and the Dominos - Clapton, Whitlock, Radle, and Gordon - and all four musicians are outstanding on it. Clapton’s guitar performance in particular is his most virtuosic on the record; his electrifying wah-laden intro crashes marvelously into Price and Keys’ bombastic horns to powerful effect. Hell, I can’t even name anything wrong with the mysterious “Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)” or the harrowing “Hear Me Lord.” Every single song on the first four sides of this album is unbelievably good, and yes, I quite like the Apple Jam as well. Given some of the songs’ subject matters, it’s difficult to totally disregard this album’s historical context, but even taking that aspect out of consideration as much as possible, it is still tremendous. I am completely in awe of this record, and as much as I would have loved to provide a hot take here, I have to be honest. All Things Must Pass is one of the greatest albums of all time, and most definitely the greatest of all the Beatles’ solo albums. 5+/5

I’m still more in the appreciation stage for Newman than I am the enjoyment stage, but damn, do I appreciate a lot of this. 3.5/5

Every song is way too fucking long and dated as hell. I respect the influence, but that doesn’t translate to personal enjoyment. 2/5

I won’t stand for any shit-talking on my girl Sheryl. Her first three records are as solidly written, produced, and performed rock/singer-songwriter records you’ll find from any decade, let alone the 90’s. She fucks. This fucks. 4.5/5

Fine. Boring. Listenable. Inoffensive. Inessential. 3/5

This is the exact style of hip-hop that is difficult for me to appreciate over the course of an entire record. Taken out of context, there’s probably not a single song here I wouldn’t like fine enough, and I recognize and appreciate the talent of both Common and J Dilla, but the overall sound and atmosphere just proves to be wayyyy too stagnant for me for an hour and 20 minutes. 3/5

Unlike its two predecessors, I don't believe it's *perfect*. There are a few tracks here I could do without. But it's still Hendrix, and therefore, still absolutely incredible. 4.5/5

Like so many records in this genre from this time period, there are so many genuine moments of interest that just get lost in the length and sameness of the production. 3/5

High 3.5 on first listen for Blur. Didn’t dig it as much as Modern Life and Parklife, but still liked it a decent bit. Favorite songs on first listen were “On Your Own”, “Death of a Party”, and “Look Inside America”. 3.5/5

One of the sneakily most important albums of my life 5/5

I'm hesitant to claim that Sugar is my favorite Bob Mould project, as I need to properly return to Hüsker Dü's catalog. However, this album in particular has always been very much up my alley, and may ultimately be my favorite of his. 4/5

Moments of musical interest can't overshadow the lackluster vocals and energy. 2/5

Some elements feel a bit one-note, but I do think it’s a sonic step up from Tigermilk. Murdoch is not a particularly strong vocalist in my opinion, but he’s such an expert melodist that it’s hard for him to not deliver said melodies at least somewhat effectively. As was the case with Tigermilk, I think the opening track (“The Stars of Track and Field”) is the main winner, but I was also taken with “Me and the Major”, “The Fox in the Snow”, “Get Me Away from Here, I’m Dying”, and “Judy and the Dream of Horses” in particular. 4/5

When I’m in the mood for it, it hits the spot like nothing else. 4/5

There are still moments where the British whimsy is just a bit too much for me, but overall, The Kinks usually get away with it better than any other band or artist. I think I will always prefer at least Arthur to Village Green, if not a few others as well, but fuck…the opening track, “Picture Book”, “Last of the Steam-Powered Trains”, “Big Sky”, “Wicked Annabella”…there’s just so much damn good stuff here. 4/5

Better than most sophisti-pop records, I suppose. 3/5

Beyond perfect. No notes. 5+/5

Definitely a step up from Crocodiles, though still not as good as Ocean Rain, in my opinion. McCulloch falls back on *a lot* of stock new wave/post-punk melodies, especially in the back half of the record, but I think he’s a decent vocalist, especially when the melodies are a bit more inventive. Highlights for me are “The Cutter”, “The Back of Love”, “Clay”, the title track, and “Heads Will Roll”. 3.5/5

It's good, but I'd rather be listening to Fleet Foxes. 3.5/5

I’ve had this album at 4.5 stars for a while and I have no idea why. It’s a 5 star album, I love every single song. Pretty sure Harvest and Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere are still my top 2, but this may surpass After the Gold Rush as my third favorite Neil. 5/5

I've always thought My Aim Is True was my favorite Costello record, but damn, maybe it's this one? The guitar tones are incendiary, and Elvis' lyrics and hooks are as strong as ever. 5/5

My third 5-star album in a row, how did I get so lucky! This one is genuinely my second favorite Bowie record, and maybe the one I have the biggest emotional response to. He may never be an absolute top-tier artist for me, but you'll never find me arguing the merits of this one. 5/5

The title track saved it from the coveted 0-star rating. 0.5/5

Never been my favorite album by any means, but I'll be damned if I don't love the energy, the attitude, and the melodies. And not for nothing, but the playing is a lot better than many would lead you to believe as well. I get why it's not everyone's thing, but these fine young upstanding fellows are a-ok by me. 4/5

I mostly enjoy this for nostalgic purposes; these days, if I’m gonna return to Incubus, it’s gonna be A Crow Left of the Murder. 3.5/5

A few good songs here, and they were still better than the shitty hair metal acts that they inspired, but it’s ridiculous that this album is here instead of some of their better 70’s albums. 3/5

“Armenia City in the Sky” and “I Can See for Miles” are the two major standouts here, though “Our Love Was”, “I Can’t Reach You”, and “Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand” are excellent as well. It’s not peak Who for me - their next two records are among my favorites of all-time - but still pretty great overall. 4/5

A generous 2 stars because “Paper Planes” is so damn good. Was surprised by how borderline insufferable I found the rest. 2/5

Overall pretty solid, even if it’s not inherently my thing. 3.5/5

Honestly? I thought I was going to hate this, but in fact, I *really* hated it. 0/5

Of what I know, Suede is easily my least favorite of the big four Britpop bands. They lean a lot more into a post-punk sound that is pretty hit and miss with me. At its best, I find this album agreeably energetic and somewhat melodic. At its worst, I find it overwrought and/or anonymous. Although I don’t think I’d say I outright dislike any of it, I think almost everything I’ve heard by Oasis, Blur, and Pulp is more interesting or appealing. 3/5

The last two songs are the weakest, but I’m still at 4 stars for it. I enjoyed it much more than his 1996 album. Fantastic production. Despite the genre, it still feels organic to me, no doubt a product of much of the sampling material. It’s just got a hell of a bite, and it’s still so hooky. Very happy to basically discover this one for the first time. 4/5

Starts off great, loses me by the end. Some cool sounds. Could grow on me. 3/5

I just never fully get there with their studio albums. Multiple great songs, though, and I don’t dislike any of it. 3.5/5

Not my favorite Costello, but still excellent. Great melodies abound. “Beyond Belief” is perfect. 4/5

Seems like there's some nice Indian music here, wish it wasn't being drowned out by all these shitty electronics. 1/5

Their finest, in my humble opinion. 4.5/5

Great playing, but a whole lot of style over substance. 3.5/5

Damn cool. 4/5

Very little of this is truly bad, but I most certainly did not need to hear it before I died. 3/5

Don’t see why this one was needed since Screamadelic is already on here. 3/5

As lame as it is dumb. 2/5

Wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did. Could grow on me with further listens. 3.5/4

Majorly disappointing, given how much I enjoyed Adamson’s other record on this list. Frankly, neither of them should be here, but if at least one had to be, it shouldn’t be this one. Dull dull dull. 2/5

Wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did. Really, REALLY great stuff. 4.5/5

I didn't like this as much as Soul Mining, but I still think these guys are clearly more interesting and diverse than many of their contemporaries. This could potentially rise a bit for me one day. 3/5

Jones truly had a hell of a voice. Pretty much everything on here is expertly played as well. Despite its short run time, it still ends up feeling a bit samey with some of the arrangements and “standard” country tricks. But it might rise in my estimation with a few more listens. 3.5/5

I always forget how good these guys were before they became super lame. 4/5

More melodic than a lot of these albums tend to be, which I appreciate. Still not much my thing, though. 2.5/5

Pretty solid, and subtly diverse, but doesn’t leave much of a lasting impact. 3.5/5

The record store I worked at growing up had the biggest reggae selection in the entire northeast, thanks to my owner who hosted the reggae show at the college radio station for over 40 years. This album was in constant rotation at the shop, and for damn good reason. For a genre that gets criticized often for being too one-note, I think there’s quite a bit of variety on this album. Charged political statements sit alongside ballads of love and yearning; bursts of killer electric guitar, keyboards, and harmonica lend unique textural palettes to almost every song; Tosh’s vocals range from pointed almost-spoken word deliveries to beautiful melodic passages. I think it’s a fantastic collection of songs, one that takes me back to a lot of fond memories. My old boss passed away a few years ago; I think about him and everything he did for me all the time. When I listen to albums like Legalize It, I feel like I’m dropping in to visit him. His name as also Peter; I’m glad I got to spend time with both Peters tonight. 4.5/5

Very light 3 stars. There are enough cool moments to justify it. But this is definitely no essential record. 3/5

Not a huge fan of this style, but some of her songwriting chops definitely made me perk up. 2.5/5

I would not want them as visitors. 2/5

Up until this moment in her discography, there have been certain PJ songs that I’ve loved for their killer guitar sounds. Others, her incredible vocals. Some for her songwriting, melodically and/or lyrically. Some for solid arrangements and production. Literally every single one of those aspects is on full display on “Big Exit”, continuing her streak of outstanding opening tracks. The soundscape is wonderfully big without ever feeling bombastic (I especially love the textural piano), and everything sounds appropriately clear without feeling overly sheen. It’s the perfect opening to what I think is a pretty perfect album. Not only do I think it’s consistently her strongest record yet as a lyricist, I also think it’s her most musically rewarding. The way she’s able to juxtapose the jangly guitars on “Big Exit” and “Good Fortune” with their overall darker soundscapes and subject matters is so damn cool; I also love her channeling of Patti Smith’s vocals on the latter. I love the melodica on “A Place Called Home”, the vibraphone on “One Line”, Thom Yorke’s effective backing vocals on “Beautiful Feeling”, the relationship between the acoustic guitar and piano on “Horses in My Dreams”…everything just *sounds* perfect. And the balance of rockers - “The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore”, “This Is Love”, and the extremely frenetic “Kamikaze” are my favorites - and mid-tempo songs/ballads is also solid. Practically every song is a highlight; I can’t not mention “You Said Something”, which features one of my all-time favorite melodies and set of lyrics from her. Her vocals at the end of “The Whores Hustle…” are just otherworldly. “We Float” is a solid closer. No matter how many times I hear this record, I end up noticing another musical element or lyrical nugget that blows me away. There’s no doubt in my mind that this is her best album. 5/5

Fuck Rush and all the other overblown prog bands. *This* is perfect rock and roll. Long live Jack and Meg. 5+/5

Baggy goodness. 4/5

The first four songs honestly had me floored - I couldn't believe I was enjoying a Madonna album that much! It unfortunately fell off hard for me after that, but perhaps there will be some revisiting value here. 2.5/5

The music and backstory are equally interesting. 4/5

I definitely dig this more than the debut. The more new wave influences work much better for him. 3.5/5

"Cars" is a great tune, but the rest is a bit middling and the overall style isn't my favorite. 3/5

With all due respect to Gram Parsons, *this* is the cosmic country I like best. 4/5

Enjoyed this a bit more on second listen. Still not all the way there with it, but perhaps I will be one day. 3/5

Fifth Dimension and The Notorious Byrd Brothers have grown on me a decent bit, but I still feel pretty similarly about this one. Some very good stuff, especially “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better”, but I’m not the biggest McGuinn fan and this one is particularly McGuinn-heavy. I think Side B is also a bit of a drag, especially the awful “All I Really Want to Do” cover. “Chimes of Freedom” redeems it a bit, though, even though I’ll still take the version with all the words over this one any day. 3.5/5

I really don't have any issues with the title track, and I think "Vincent" is a brilliant piece of writing. The rest of it is pleasant enough, mostly solid early 70's folk, but I certainly don't think it's as essential or enjoyable as many other albums from this era of singer-songwriters. 3.5/5

The music is about as good as the artwork. 1/5

Blood on the Tracks is the most focused collection of songs in Dylan’s catalog, and his greatest artistic achievement in terms of crafting a structured, thematic piece of work. In the throes of a major life shift, Bob accurately conveys every emotion and coping mechanism that comes with the dissolution of a long-term relationship. Throughout these ten songs, he expresses bitterness (both understandable and irrational), replays multiple scenarios with a seemingly impossible balance of confusion and clarity, admits fault while not being afraid to place blame on other parties, resigns himself to mournfulness, and occasionally offers the glimmer of hope or optimism that you can only believe so much coming from a damaged lover. Conceptually, it’s a total success, but what elevates this record to its rarefied brilliance is the astonishing execution of the material. For as great as the lyrics are across the board, Bob graces every single song with a melody that’s just as good, and furthermore, delivers a cogent, passionate vocal on each one. Regardless of which tracks derive from the original New York sessions (shoutout to Tony Brown’s exceptional bass work on these songs in particular) or the last-minute Minneapolis sessions, the soundscapes provide the right amount of musicality and tunefulness without detracting from the lyrics’ emotional impact. I suppose each statement in the last two paragraphs should have the obligatory “in my opinion” attached to it, given the subjectivity of art in general. This has been a subjective ranking, after all. More so than any other Dylan record, though, the heights of Blood on the Tracks feel about as close to objective or undeniable as possible. For me, it’s apparent right from the opening of “Tangled Up in Blue”; I’m completely hooked even before Bob’s flawless lyric, vocal, and melody enter. The blend of acoustic and electric guitars with Gregg Inhofer’s subtle keyboard pad is a sound as glorious as anything ever committed to tape, and anchors the nearly-six-minute journey with sheer elegance. After all these years, it’s still a top 20 Dylan track for me. “Simple Twist of Fate” and “Shelter from the Storm”, both from the New York sessions, also rank among my top 20, and deserve every bit of praise they’ve received over the last 50 years. Bob’s storytelling and imagery are as effective as they’ve ever been on these two tracks, with both receiving an added boost of distinct, dynamic emotionalism. “You’re a Big Girl Now” and “If You See Her, Say Hello” are equally stunning and particularly devastating, featuring two of the most impressive vocal performances on the record. And with all due respect to the numerous instances of first-class songwriting between John Wesley Harding and Planet Waves, “Idiot Wind” is Bob’s most ambitious, industrious accomplishment since Blonde on Blonde, and for my money, an absolute triumph. To this day, the last verse never fails to make me shake my head in awe (“You’ll never know the hurt I’ve suffered/Nor the pain I rise above/And I’ll never know the same about you/Your holiness or your kind of love/And it makes me feel so sorry”). Hell, I even love the occasionally-maligned “Meet Me in the Morning”. The blues have been a large part of Bob’s musical DNA from day one, so it seems fitting to me that he would include a blues number on an album centered around heartbreak. I dig everything about it, especially Bob’s soaring vocal and the perfect tones of each electric guitar. It’s never felt out of place to me, and regardless of how much love is given to the outtake “Up to Me”, I wouldn’t trade this track for anything. I must admit that I gravitate towards a few alternate takes of these songs. Give me take two from the New York sessions of “Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts”, featured on More Blood, More Tracks. As much as I love the album cut of “You’re a Big Girl Now”, I return even more to the outtake originally issued on Biograph. It’s even a close call on “Idiot Wind”; the album version is a top 30 Dylan track for me, due in part to his fiery delivery and excellent band performance, but I like the acoustic version from The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 at least just as much. But really, it’s basically irrelevant at this point. We’re talking about Blood on the Tracks here. I could sit here and attempt to further delineate the majesty of these songs, but there’s nothing I could say to do any of them justice, and most anyone reading this understands the overwhelming power of this album anyway. I feel truly lucky to live in a world where Blood on the Tracks exists. I’ll never take it for granted. Least favorite track: “Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts”. To my ears, this one has always felt more out of place than “Meet Me in the Morning”. I don’t dislike it; it’s an intriguing story (one that honestly still confounds me) and another solid vocal from Bob. After living with this album for decades, it’s continued to grow on me. But every now and then, the organ still feels over-prominent to me, especially given the song’s length (one of the main reasons I much prefer the acoustic take). It’s the only track that wouldn’t land in my top 100 Dylan songs. Favorite track: “Buckets of Rain”. From a compositional standpoint, my answer would be “Tangled Up in Blue”, “Simple Twist of Fate”, “Idiot Wind”, or “Shelter from the Storm”, all of which are among my top 30 favorite Bob songs. But there’s a magic to this song, both on its own and in context of the record, that deeply affects me every single time I listen to it. The musical conversation taking place between Dylan’s magnificent guitar work and Brown’s dancing bass line is simply one of the most serene sounds ever captured. Bob’s vocal is as wistful and splendidly straightforward as the lyrics, and each line, no matter how simple, packs such a strong emotional punch. It’s the perfect closing track for this record, and often closes out any Dylan playlist I make. A top 10 personal favorite for me. Pure greatness. 5+/5

Sometimes I want a little more Iggy and a little less Bowie, but it’s still great. 4/5

I might like this even better than Dummy?? 4/5

This has convinced me on Scott more than anything so far. I dig some of the subversiveness. 3.5/5

I wish it was a bit more consistent, but the best moments are REALLY damn good. 3.5/5

No. Don't stand so close to me. 2/5

I don’t think this was supposed to make me laugh, but it sure did anyway. 0.5/5

I'm not all the way there with it yet, but I think I could be one day. 3.5/5

This is far and away the best Bee Gees I’ve heard. I’ve always liked “To Love Somebody”, but I was nervous going into this because I tried Odessa a few months ago and wasn’t feeling it at all . Very Elton-esque on this record. Far too many ballads overall, but there’s some really solid stuff. 3.5/5

I think there's just a clear disconnect between me and a lot of the styles at play here. It seems like most people lose their minds over "Pyramids", for example; I recognize that it's well-constructed, but it's nothing I care to listen to. I feel that way about quite a few songs on this record. I want to acknowledge and give credit to the diverse production elements, but there's still such a prominent smooth R&B thread throughout the album that I just don't jive with. Still, there are multiple songs I enjoy to some degree, even if I don't love any of them. "Crack Rock" and "Lost" are quite easily my two favorites, and I can see a few more potentially growing on me in time. As someone who had only heard select Frank Ocean songs, hearing this entire record gave me a slightly better feel for his talents, even if his music still isn't something I inherently love. Was considering a high 2.5, but enough moments made me perk up to go with a light 3. 3/5

Sounds super ahead of its time. Excited to go back to this one. 3.5/5

There are a few tracks here I dig fine enough, and I think the production is solid overall, but I just don't love the style as a whole. 2/5

Probably my favorite Marley record so far. Very, very high 4 stars. 4/5

I appreciate some of the lyrical content, but it ultimately becomes a chore to sit through. 2/5

Would be 4 stars if not for the skits/if it was trimmed down a bit. Still damn good. 3.5/5

I really, *really* dig their arrangements and musical ideas. Vocalist sounds like a British Jim James. 3.5/5

My favorite of his, I guess? Power to everyone who digs him. 2.5/5

Not their best - Fun House takes that crown - but still a solid debut. 4/5

Still my favorite Neil studio album after all these years. Every song feels like a warm hug, even the more rocking ones. 5/5

Mysterious, calming, hypnotic, melodic, emotional, and beautiful. Every single musician on this record does exactly what they’re supposed to do (including Wayne Shorter, who becomes one of like, four people to ever make the soprano saxophone sound good). Probably my third favorite Miles record. Simply remarkable. 5/5

I have a lot less tolerance for Dollar General 80's soft rock. To me, "While You See a Chance" is the poster child for once-interesting artists devolving into cheesy banality. I like Winwood in general, and this record just barely gets to 2.5 stars on the strength of his voice, the title track, and a few other interesting moments, but the appeal of this overall sound is completely lost on me. 2.5/5

Excellent production and sampling. This could grow on me over time. 3.5/5

No. 0.5/5

Much better on the whole than I always remember it being.

I would like this band if they didn’t sound anything like the way they do. 2/5

I dig the overall sounds and approach of this album. People treating it like it’s the worst thing ever is a bit dramatic, in my opinion. That said, pretty much all of the songs that exceed four minutes overstay their welcome a bit for me, especially for a style of music that’s not inherently my favorite. It may not have the highest ceiling to grow in my ranks, but there is most certainly room for growth, and I’m actively interested in returning to this. 3/5

I still don't even know if I *like* her voice, but I'm certainly captivated by it. And the songs are great. 4/5

"Wishing Well" is cool, and "As Yet Untitled" actually kind of blew me away. There are a few other elements here and there that I like fine enough, too, but overall, this just isn't a sound I dig very much. He also cribs a bit too much from Prince and MJ for my liking - two artists I'm not big on anyway, but I respect their singularity. 2.5/5

Some of the better post-70’s jazz I’ve heard. 4/5

“I Can See It” my favorite track. Always liked that one, and have recently warmed a bit to Loveless as well. I still don’t love it, nor do I love this album, mostly because I really, really don’t enjoy Butcher as a vocalist. Stalling at 3 stars for now, but the strength of the badass guitar work could elevate it one day. 3/5

It's good...for Rush... 3/5

This one grew for me considerably on second listen. I'm not sure it will ever be an all-time favorite but I can definitely dig it. 3.5/5

It doesn't seem right to call an album featuring a Captain Beefheart vocal and three 9+ minute jams "accessible", and yet, contextually, this still may be the most accessible Zappa record I've heard. I don't know if it's my favorite of his, but it's definitely up there. I'm never personally bothered by the song lengths given a) the energy of the performances and b) their persistent movement. The musicianship is obviously top-notch across the board (shoutouts to Ian Underwood and Sugarcane Harris are certainly in order), but there's a certain rawness to it that isn't always on display in Zappa's music. Big fan. 4/5

Very, very high 4 stars. These guys were so damn cool. 4/5

This one keeps growing and growing on me. Tough to go wrong with Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson. 4.5/5

I had a big AC/DC phase for about a year and a half in high school; I've not considered them anywhere near a favorite band since I was probably 15 or 16. I still like the big hits on this one fine enough, especially the title track, but Brian Johnson wears me the fuck out over the course of a whole record. Gimme Bon Scott-era AC/DC any day of the week; Dirty Deeds #1 in my listography FTW. 3/5

I obviously hear and acknowledge some of the homophobic and misogynistic content that hasn't aged well and/or contributes to the "shock factor" label that gets applied to this album. However, I personally don't find any of it to be that shocking or more offensive than other hip-hop albums from this general time period. To me, the greater social messages of this record are the ones that prevail and matter, and I think the title track and "Fuck tha Police" in particular still hit damn hard all these years later. It's not my favorite style of music, nor my favorite era of it (though some of Dre's work is undeniably great), but it's mostly alright by me. 3.5/5

Not always my absolute *favorite* style of music, but there's enough variation here to keep it interesting, and Dusty's voice is marvelous. 3.5/5

I’ve known about Super Furry Animals for a long time due to their involvement in McCartney’s Liverpool Sound Collage, and was aware that Paul subsequently contributed an all-time celery and carrot performance on this record. Still, despite knowing and liking the title track of this record, I’d never dove into them before this. And boy, do I feel silly for that now. What a wonderful journey this record is. More than anything, I appreciate how balanced it is. There are just the right amount of fast, slow, and mid-tempo songs; the electronic elements work perfectly alongside the largely organic frameworks; they’re often throwing the kitchen sink at these arrangements, but they do it in a way that never feels overly dense. This is especially apparent in “Receptable for the Respectable”, which borrows heavily from The Beatles and Beach Boys without venturing into parody or plagiarism. They throw in a little harmonica here, some horns there, some tasty synth for good measure, all while working their way through an ever-changing form…it’s so awesome. And for good measure, the outro is absolutely hilarious. There are just so many damn highlights here. “(Drawing) Rings Around the World” is a killer pop song dressed up with alternative psychedelia. “No Sympathy” is such a wild ride; again, going back to the theme of balance, the feedback permeating throughout the intro never fully overtakes or distracts from the gorgeous acoustic guitar/electric piano work, and the electronic shift in the outro is batshit insane in the best way. I also love the juxtaposition of the dark lyrics with the beautiful vocal melody. Speaking of juxtaposition, the unexpected Philly soul-inspired “Juxtaposed with U” features some of my favorite lyrics on the record (“I’m not in love with you, but I won’t hold that against you”). “Presidential Suite” is another lyrical gem, underscoring the sweeping music with hysterical commentary. I feel like I could talk all day about the soundscape of “Alternate Route to Vulcan Street” and dynamic masterclass of “Run! Christian! Run!”. It feels wrong to not mention the expertly crafted mood piece that is “[A] Touch Sensitive”, too. I’ve only listened to this album twice, but I’m quite enamored with it already. Very strong 4.5 stars for me. 4.5/5

U2 enters the 90’s with a bang. Right off the bat with “Zoo Station”, you can tell this is going to be a very different album for them. Everything is a lot drier and close mic’ed; there is a lot less reverb on this record, fuzzier guitar tones, and a bit more experimentation in general, and the results are great. I think that Bono is such a great, unique vocalist that even when there’s such a huge stylistic shift within the band, they still sound like themselves. Achtung Baby may not sound like War, The Unforgettable Fire, or Joshua Tree, but it does sound like U2. And that’s not just his voice: it’s his melodic and lyrical writing and the band as a whole. Clayton is such an awesome bassist that when you hear something like “Mysterious Ways”, it definitely checks out that this is U2. And man, that track is so damn cool, simultaneously so dirty and rocking, but also groovy and melodic. The aforementioned “Zoo Station” is a killer opener, and makes for a great 1-2 punch with “Even Better Than the Real Thing”. “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses” is probably the closest they get to emulating their 80’s sound, and I think they do a great job with it. And then you’ve got two all-time ballads in “One” and “So Cruel”. I like every song on this record; there are a few songs I don’t *love*, so it stalls out at 4 stars for me, but it’s definitely a higher 4 stars, and it would almost certainly make my top 10 albums of my birth year, 1991. 4/5

Delightfully weird. Could see this growing on me. 3.5/5

Few bands can make a rock opera actually sound cool and organic. The Who can, because they fucking rule. 5/5

Not as good as the followup, but still damn good Britpop. 4/5

God, these guys were so good right before they turned so lame. 4/5

Sure, it’s only my second favorite Beatles album, but it’s also my second favorite album of all-time. Not a wasted note. Perfection to the highest degree. 5+/5

Generally lukewarm on this overall style, but this is among the best I’ve heard. 4/5

Some really fascinating production choices and good songs, but Moz's schtick runs a little thin by the end of it. 3.5/5

Unbelievably inventive, diverse, and engrossing. 4.5/5

The fact that Bob Dylan wrote these songs between the ages of 20 and 21 is incomprehensible. He sings and plays everything wonderfully, but his lyrics truly deserve the spotlight. “Blowin’ in the Wind”, “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”, and “Masters of War” are three distinctly different commentaries on the political and societal changes happening around him, and all three are absolute triumphs. He also demonstrates his abilities to tug at our heartstrings with wistful longing (“Girl from the North Country”) and a bitter sendoff (“Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”). Some songwriters go their entire life hoping to write one song as good as any of these five tracks. Bob did it before most kids his age had college degrees. There are quite a few fantastic tracks outside of these giant compositions as well. “Talkin’ World War III Blues” is still one of the funniest songs he’s ever recorded; “Corrina, Corrina” is a lovely take on the blues standard; “Oxford Town” is a great, succinct precursor to The Times They Are A-Changin’; I’ve even grown fonder with each passing year of “Down the Highway”, a perfectly moody tune that feels like a bridge between Bob Dylan and this record. Throughout every song, we hear the earnest voice and guitar playing of the young master, simultaneously extremely confident and unaware of exactly how much this album is about to change everything. The only personal criticism I can levy against Freewheelin’ is that some tunes strike me as filler. Entertaining, well-performed filler, but filler nonetheless. In my opinion, there are six superb songs from these sessions that didn’t make the cut - “Talkin’ Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues”, “Let Me Die in My Footsteps”, “Kingsport Town”, “Walls of Red Wing”, “Rambling, Gambling Willie” and “Quit Your Low Down Ways” - that all would have been deserving of a spot in place of one or two of the weaker tracks. Really, it’s a minor complaint, and with the amount of major material on here, it’s useless to harp too long on minor complaints. I absolutely adore this album. Least favorite track: “Bob Dylan’s Blues”. Totally fine and inoffensive, but ultimately inconsequential. Favorite track: “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”. Sheer perfection across the board: lyrically, melodically, vocally, and instrumentally. For all of the (rightful) love “Positively 4th Street” gets as a classic “fuck you” song, Bob proved he had a penchant for iciness two years prior with: “I ain’t sayin’ you treated me unkind/You could have done better, but I don’t mind/You just kind of wasted my precious time/But don’t think twice, it’s all right.” A top five Dylan track for me. 4.5/5

Not convinced of the songwriting, but pretty cool sound nonetheless. 3.5/5

Perfect songwriting across the board. Nobody did it like John. 5/5

It's never been my *favorite* Stones record, but I can't pretend anymore like I don't absolutely love it. Not sure I'd change a thing about it. 5/5

Unbelievably cool production and very diverse. There’s room for this to keep growing on me. 4/5

Unbelievable production and songwriting. 4/5

A wonderfully melodic and intimate debut album. Perhaps a couple songs too long, but really impressive on most every other level. 4/5

Extremely cool record that expertly blends "standard" melodic indie rock with electronic flourishes and trippy songwriting. 4.5/5

Few people make the 80’s sound as good as Dire Straits. 4/5

Light 3.5 for this one, 3 for purposes of the website. The title track and "Season of the Witch" are all-timers, and there are other assorted elements I dig, but it also ventures a bit too far into this sort of medieval folkiness that I don't love. 3.5/5

Not my favorite band from this era/scene, but still solid. The big hits all still hold up, and quite a few of the deep cuts (particularly "Fade Away and Radiate") are excellent as well. 4/5

On first listen, I dig this a lot. I’ve long ignored this band for no particular reason at all; chalk it up to “so much music, so little time”. I know they’re well respected as one of the “first punk bands”, and while I put that term in quotes because I don’t think it’s quite accurate, I understand the general thought process. They’ve still got a few toes in the power pop/glam waters, but they execute those elements in a slightly grungier, more subversive manner that appeals to me. They’re clearly excellent musicians - some of the guitar and bass work in particular is quite stellar - but their performances are far more visceral than they are over-calculated. I can see why songs like “Back to Africa” and “Master Race Rock” might come across the wrong way, but I think that even if elements of their lyrics haven’t aged well if you apply them to today’s standards, they’re a bit more nuanced and clever than they appear on first listen. In general, I think a lot of their lyrics are quite funny without being overly stupid. I’ll definitely be coming back to this one and seeing how/if my opinions evolve. 4/5

I may be the only person on the planet who has an opinion on this, but I actually prefer their follow-up, 2004's Winning Days. Still, a pretty damn solid album from a very important time in my life. 3.5/5

There are many factors I could discuss in justifying Highway 61 Revisited as my favorite Dylan record. Most notably, I could talk about how it expanded upon and perfected the electric soundscapes that were introduced on Bringing It All Back Home, creating an atmosphere that is singular not just to Bob’s discography, but to all of rock and roll. This ramshackle blend of Chicago blues, jangle pop, and British beat music is unique enough by itself; when you add Dylan’s distinct, pointed vocals into the mix and consider the breakneck vibe of the band’s performances, it’s simply unlike anything else in the history of popular music. It’s almost there on the previous record, but not exactly; there are similarities on Blonde on Blonde, but the change in backing band and Bob’s hazier vocal delivery lends to a noticeable shift in vibe; by the time The Basement Tapes are recorded and John Wesley Harding is released, he’s adapted a more stripped-down approach, and not only does he never return to the mid-60’s sound, it’s unlikely he could have even if he wanted to. This is not a condemnation of these records’ soundscapes; it simply illustrates how exclusive the sound of Highway 61 is, a sound that I enjoy and cherish like no other. Regardless of this or any other aspect I could comment on, all that needs to be said as to why it’s my favorite Dylan record is: you know. You know exactly why, even if it’s not yours. I don’t say this to be lazy or funny; it’s the same argument that could be made for Blonde on Blonde or Blood on the Tracks. Just look at the track listing: Highway 61 Revisited kicks off with a song with as strong a case as any for the greatest in rock and roll history and, until the second it ends, rarely strays from that caliber of grandeur. It certainly doesn’t hurt that it closes out with the most enchantingly sprawling of all Dylan epics; “Desolation Row” remains, for my money, the most impressive ten-plus-minute ballad in his catalog. A slew of historical figures and fictional characters are congregated in Bob’s extravagant landscape, each one subjected to a mysterious or unexpected fate at the mercy of his transcendent writing and focused vocals. It’s the only track that doesn’t subscribe to the rest of the album’s aforementioned sound, but Bob’s harmonica playing and Charlie McCoy’s lead acoustic work lend to a memorable listening experience just the same. It’s absolutely tremendous. Bob had already begun revolutionizing the art of songwriting with his massive compositions on Freewheelin’, but much like The Beatles continued to reach new peaks with their contributions to popular music throughout the ‘60’s, Dylan finds himself squarely in the middle of one of his most major, influential primes on Highway 61 Revisited. His frustration with his own celebrity and its consequences is never more palpable than on “Ballad of a Thin Man”. Its ominous descending chord progression perfectly mirrors the acidity and darkness of the lyrics (I’ve always been partial to the sword swallower’s declaration of, “Here is your throat back, thanks for the loan”). As good as the upbeat blues numbers are on Bringing It All Back Home, Bob and the studio band take it up an extra notch for “Tombstone Blues” and this album’s title track, both of which feature some of his most unforgivably playful and exciting lyrics and energetic backdrops. The more tempered, melodic blues of “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry” is handled just as well, and on a record filled with great harmonica performances, this one potentially features the best. All of these tracks are among my favorite Dylan songs, most of them in my top 50. Two songs, however, are permanently entrenched in my top five. “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues”, in particular, holds such a special place in my heart. Everything about it is simply terrific: the fluid melody, Bob’s emotive vocal and harmonica playing, the unbelievable piano and guitar interplay…and those lyrics! The sweet Melinda verse in particular always gets me; “And she takes your voice and leaves you howling at the moon.” When I saw him perform this song for the first time, those words shook me to my core, and I've never heard it the same way again. It knocks me off my feet every time; a flawless recording of a flawless song. This albums is very much in a #1a/#1b situation with Blood on the Tracks, which I consider Bob’s finest artistic statement from a thematic standpoint. The only common thread between these two wildly different records is their overwhelming magnificence, but Highway 61 Revisited is just that: magnificent. It may not be as conceptually sound as Blood on the Tracks, but I don’t believe it’s any less coherent. It’s the master at the height of his cosmic powers, flexing every muscle he has and employing every weapon in his arsenal. No other songwriter in 1965 was this sardonic, confident, expressive, virtuosic, and groundbreaking at the same time, and no one has been since. For Bob to harness all of these traits and compose such a consistent set of songs, complete with top-notch melodies, soaring vocals, and wildly individual soundscapes, is almost unfathomable. He was the best, he is the best, and in my extremely humble opinion, Highway 61 Revisited is his very best. Least favorite track: “From a Buick 6”. What an aggressive, kickass rocker, complete with blaring organs, fiery vocals, and killer lyrics. I think it’s fantastic, and easily the “worst” song of the bunch. God, I love this album. Favorite track: “Like a Rolling Stone”. My personal attachment to “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” doesn’t make this the easiest of choices. “Ballad of a Thin Man” and “It Takes a Lot to Laugh” are constantly bubbling around my top 10-15 Dylan tracks as well. But I can’t escape “Like a Rolling Stone”, and I never want to. I think there’s a natural inclination for fans of any given artist to gravitate away from their most popular or celebrated song; with a catalog as vast as Dylan’s, there’s no reason to risk overexposure to any track if you don’t have to. In the case of “Like a Rolling Stone”, it has the persistent “greatest song of all-time” argument hanging above its head that can be enough to encourage time away from it. Whenever I return after some distance, though, it usually only takes one listen to confirm the validity of its reputation. Bobby Gregg’s opening snare crack, Frank Owens’ steady piano playing, Dylan’s unrelenting rhythm guitar, Mike Bloomfield’s blistering electric lead, and Al Kooper’s iconic organ work create a sound that is beyond compare. There’s not a single word out of place in Bob’s unforgiving set of lyrics, and as much as I love the “Royal Albert Hall” performance, the studio recording will forever be my favorite vocal take. His cadence is immaculate, and though he mostly sticks to the (superb) melody, his intensity boils over in all the perfect spots. Entire books could be written about this song’s greatness - perhaps they already have? - and I certainly can’t do it justice in one paragraph. “Visions of Johanna” has emerged as my favorite Dylan song in recent years, but “Like a Rolling Stone” is still right there, regardless of how cliché or boring it may seem. What a sensational accomplishment. 5+/5

Slightly more interesting than a lot of other music in this genre from this era. 2.5/5

A few re-recordings in particular stood out as not comparing to the originals, but in general, I had a pretty damn good time with this. Post-Pet Sounds is my favorite BB era, but I've taken precious little time to fully immerse myself into the full lore of Smile; between Brian's passing and enjoying this quite a bit, that may change soon. I'm grateful they rigged the generator in his honor. Rest in peace, Brian. 4/5

I get the feeling I’m not supposed to like this based on other peoples’ reactions, but oh well! 4/5

My favorite of theirs for the time being. They're still more of a songs band for me, but this one is damn consistent. 4/5

Delightfully weird, diverse, and ahead of its time. 4/5

Hell of a voice. This one could keep rising for me. 4/5

Definitely like this a bit more than Different Class. I felt like I locked in a lot more to Jarvis’ songwriting in this one, and it is indeed excellent. Still unsure exactly what to think of him as a vocalist, though I definitely don’t think I dislike his singing by any means. “Dishes”, “Party Hard”, “Help the Aged”, and “A Little Soul” made the biggest impressions on me on first listen, but I’m excited to keep returning to this one. 4/5

Muddy is the coolest and this band is hot shit. 4.5/5

I like most every style of classic blues, but I generally gravitate the most towards the stripped-down Delta players or the dirtier Chess/Chicago sound. B.B. often lives in this slightly livelier style a la T-Bone Walker, and although I do genuinely like that style, it occasionally veers a bit too close to this sort of jump blues that doesn’t resonate as much with me. This particular album hints at that, but there are also quite a few highlights, even though I’ve historically preferred Live at Cook County Jail and his opening set from the deluxe edition of Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out. “How Blue Can You Get?” and “Worry, Worry” are probably my favorites, and his voice and playing are both in strong form throughout. 3.5/5

A perfect debut from a pretty perfect band. 5/5

Probably only my 5th favorite Beatles album and still maybe a top 30 all-time album. Better than practically every album it inspired. 5/5

Not my favorite from this genre, but still easy enough to digest and *fantastic* drumming. 3.5/5

Perhaps a hot take, but my least favorite Spiritualized record. They get so, so much more interesting for me after this. 3/5

Probably my least favorite Cave so far, but not bad by any means. 3.5/5

There is nothing about this style that I relate or react positively to. Whatever extremely valid reasons people may have for enjoying this type of music - it's "fun", "badass", hooky, nostalgic, etc. - are not reasons that I personally find agreeable or applicable. There is nothing on a musical, lyrical, or production level that moves, intrigues, or excites me in any way whatsoever. I like so many artists, albums, and songs for so many different reasons - for instance, I think some of them are fun, badass, hooky, nostalgic, etc. But when I consider every element that has ever brought me enjoyment in any given song, album, or genre, I don't hear any of them present in music like this. 0.5/5

I really, really want to like this album. I like a good amount of Zappa and appreciate even more than I enjoy; he's been an omnipresent figure in my life since I was a kid, so I forever have a soft spot for him. I think this album is pretty fascinating from a historical standpoint, and *some* of the messaging isn't too far off, but I've just never dug listening to it all that much. If I'm in the mood for rocking Zappa, funny Zappa, or experimental Zappa, I think he's succeeded far better in all of these areas on other releases. I personally think his disdain for the style of music he's mocking is a bit of a hindrance; in my opinion, musical satire works best when the artist clearly has some form of love, reverence, or respect for the source material. I understand why most *true* Zappa heads love it and I think it's a worthy inclusion in this book; it's just one I've consistently struggled to enjoy. 2/5

A wonderfully unique project. 4/5

Although I’m not inherently much of a neo-soul fan, there are quite a few musical elements here that I’m really digging, particularly the bass work on “Didn’t Cha Know”, Roy Ayers’ guest spot on “Cleva”, and the string arrangement/coda of “Time’s a Wastin”. Really, really cool stuff. I definitely felt the length of this one a bit, and there are also a few aspects that I’m not so hot on (definitely just personal preferences, though), but the aspects that I like of it are enough to get me to 3 stars. Perhaps it’s because I listened to it once more out of context, but I actually quite like “Green Eyes”. The jazz kid in me really, really digs the soundscape and shifting sections in that one. Similarly, “Cleva” is hard for me not to really like, and as I mentioned before, that bass line on “Didn’t Cha Know” goes so hard. One hour and 11 minutes of a genre I don’t love is a bit tough, and I don’t think I’m likely to visit the whole album again any time soon, but I do have a lot of respect for it/her and I’m glad I was finally given a good excuse to check it out. 3/5

Who fucking cares whether or not it's "real punk." It's perfectly constructed melodic, energetic rock and roll. Fuck the haters. 5/5

Having relistened to them all somewhat recently now, I think this is definitely my third favorite Sabbath. I like Ozzy’s “underdeveloped” vocals, if you will, and dig the overall atmosphere. For all the props they get as individual performers, their ability and seeming willingness to leave a lot of space is extremely impressive and crucial. R.I.P. Ozzy, you were a legend. 4/5

Probably my third or fourth favorite Joni record. "The Jungle Line", in all its experimental beauty, is one of my absolute favorite songs of hers; the title track, "Don't Interrupt the Sorrow", "Shadows and Light", and "In France They Kiss on Main Street" are other big highlights for me as well. Skunk Baxter's guitar work on the latter is damn cool, and as always, Joni's lyrics are stunningly perfect. 4.5/5

Wanted to like this a lot more than I did. I usually dig this style/era, and I definitely didn't *dislike* this, but it felt like a lesser version of much better bands and records. Smith's writing is pretty strong - "Bombsite Boy" and "Great British Mistake" were lyrical highlights - but I think his vocals are a bit lacking, and there was little from a melodic or instrumental standpoint that stood out to me. I'll revisit it eventually, but on first listen, I'm not sure it holds up to Buzzcocks, The Undertones, or a slew of other groups from this scene, let alone the Clash or Sex Pistols. 3/5

Definitely my favorite of the four Echo records I've heard. McCulloch's vocals and lyrics are top-notch throughout, and overall, the band crafts a relatively unique sound. It's grander than their previous albums, undoubtedly aided by the orchestra, but it rarely (if ever) veers into any comically big 80's production. It's still quite accessible and somewhat intimate. I really dig that the orchestra doesn't just exist to provide ~sweeping textures~, instead offering some pretty interesting and weird dynamics. Overall, it's a decently diverse affair that would most certainly make my top 10 albums of this year. 4/5

I don’t care if it makes me basic - I think it’s their best, and it deserves all the praise it gets. 5/5

Although I slightly prefer the follow-up, this one is still absolutely perfect. Magical, even. Many groups tried to copy this record, but it's impossible to duplicate. 5/5

After two listens, I feel like this is a 4-4.5 star album on the strength of the songs and a 1-1.5 star album on the strength of the production and arrangements. Settling on a high 3 stars for now; I hope it continues to raise in my estimations if I get past my own sonic issues. 3/5